The Hindu : `Cong. should forge alliances with smaller parties'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 14, 2003

National

National

`Cong. should forge alliances with smaller parties'

Allahabad Sept. 13. The former Prime Minister, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, has said the fall of the BJP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh would have far-reaching effects on the politics, including the NDA Government at the Centre.

Mr. Singh told presspersons here today that the NDA partners would re-think about their alliance with the BJP at the Centre after this development.

He said he had predicted a year ago that the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, would play a major role ``in ruining the BJP'' and that had come true. ``Now the BJP was fighting for its existence in U.P.''

He urged the Congress to adopt a ``flexible attitude'' and play the role of a ``big brother'' and forge alliances with smaller parties to defeat the BJP.

Mr. Singh said by birth the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, might be a foreigner, but now she was an Indian national.

Mr. Singh, while demanding a change in the anti-defection law, said if any MP or MLA changed the party, his membership from the party should be cancelled and he should seek a fresh mandate from the people.

He demanded that the Centre should not send Indian forces to Iraq under any pressure. He said if there was any pressure from the United Nations Organisation, then a second thought could be given to the issue.

On political leaders fielding their kin in politics, Mr. Singh said his son was not his slave. He said, ``He is mature enough to take his own decisions, whether to enter into politics or not.'' — UNI

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