The Hindu : Mulayam clarifies stand on joint opposition candidate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 15, 2004

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Other States - Uttar Pradesh

Mulayam clarifies stand on joint opposition candidate

LUCKNOW, MARCH 14. Apparently stung by RJD Chief Laloo Prasad Yadav's description of him as an agent of BJP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today said his Samajwadi Party was not opposed to fielding a joint opposition candidate against Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow Lok Sabha seat.

``We are not opposed to fielding a joint candidate against Vajpayee but so far no such proposal has been received from any quarter nor has there been any discussion in this regard,'' Singh Yadav told PTI here.

He said SP was capable of offering a stiff challenge to Vajpayee.

On being pointed out that UPCC President Jagadambika Pal had recently mooted the idea of a joint Opposition candidate against Vajpayee, Yadav said no Congress leader had approached his party with any such proposal.

Asked about Congress' threat of withdrawing support to his government in the State, the SP supremo urged the former not to create a situation which could benefit the BJP.

Mr Yadav said senior Congress leader Arjun Singh, by making unnecessary statements, is only helping the BJP and claimed that Congress' withdrawal of support would have no effect on his government.

To a question about reports of film actors taking money for campaigning, he said this was not the case with his party. He said his party would make development its main plank in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

PTI

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Mulayam clarifies stand on joint opposition candidate