Mulayam Not To Campaign For Gujral; Turns Cool To Uf

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday further distanced himself from the United Front by declaring that he would not campaign in favour of Prime Minister I K Gujral if he accepted the Akali Dals offer and contested from Jalandhar.

Yadav also criticised Front chairman H D Deve Gowda for the recent remarks against him.

Of late, Yadav has been increasingly adopting a posture independent of the United Front even though he adds the feeble caveat that he would remain loyal to the coalition. His ambivalent posture towards the Congress is also evident from his oft repeated statement that he would do everything necessary to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party.

I will not go to Jalandhar to campaign for Gujral if he accepts the Akali offer. We feel the Akali Dal is also a communal party alongwith the BJP, he told newsmen yesterday.

Yadav has made it clear that the SPs only genuine ally within the United Front is the CPI(M), and no one else. Indeed, he accused the Janata Dal of strengthening the BJP, and pointed out that the partys legislators had joined the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar as well as Madhya Pradesh. He challenged the BJP to try and wean away an SP legislator.

Yadav made light of Gowdas diatribe against him in Lucknow early this week, and wondered if it was wise on Gowdas part to make such remarks when he is also chairman of the United Front. The Janata Dal is upset that the SP has the dominant say in seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh, and is keen to contest 75 of the 85 seats in the state.

What can be done if the Front chairman is himself crossing the limits? Why does he not come and talk to me if he has any problems? But I will not react, he said.

Yadav announced that Phoolan Devi would again contest from Mirzapur while Pappu Yadav would also be renominated for the Purnea seat. Deepa Singh, who belongs to the royal family of Bharatpur, would be the SPs candidate while Motilal Khairana, a BJP legislator in Rajasthan, who joined the SP yesterday, would be fielded from the Bayana constituency. Another BJP MLA from the state, Gopichand Gujjar, also joined the SP.

Yadav also made light of the recently formed Jan Morcha consisting of Laloo Prasad Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal and other parties. Where is the Jan Morcha? What is Jai Telengana?. What is Andhra Nadu and other partners of the morcha, he wondered.

Mulayam Singh says he will not campaign for IK Gujral if the latter contested the Lok Sabha poll from Jalandhar