The Hindu : Congress appeals to SP again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

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Congress appeals to SP again

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 27. The Congress today again invited the Samajwadi Party (SP) to explore the possibility of seat adjustments to ensure against the division of secular votes. The invitation was made by the senior Congress leader, Pranab Mukherjee, from the very platform from which the party on Thursday issued a veiled threat of withdrawing support to the Mulayam Singh Government in Uttar Pradesh if it did not stop straying from the "secular course.''

Mr. Mukherjee said: "The Congress has supported the Samajwadi Party to form a government in Uttar Pradesh to replace the Bharatiya Janata Party-Bahujan Samaj Party Government. The Congress is trying sincerely to forge alliances with various secular parties in different States to ensure that secular votes are not split. In that context, we are inviting the SP to explore the possibility of seat adjustments among the SP, the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal.''

Asked about the chances of an alliance with the SP at this juncture since it had announced its candidates for a majority of the seats, Mr. Mukherjee said: "In the realm of politics, there is always a possibility.'' Asked why the SP should support a party which had only recently made overtures to the Bahujan Samaj Party, he said: "Our support to the Samajwadi Party is based on the principle of helping a secular force replace a BJP Government. It is not a quid pro quo adjustment.''

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