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SP may abstain from voting

Atiq Khan

Not much to choose , says Mulayam

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party is likely to abstain from voting during the Presidential poll, due to be held on July 19.

An indication to this effect was given by party president Mulayam Singh.

He told The Hindu that there was hardly anything to choose between the United Progressive Alliance candidate Pratibha Patil and National Democratic Alliance-supported independent Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

Mr. Singh, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, presided over a meeting of the Samajwadi Legislature Party on Tuesday. He is understood to have outlined the strategy for the Presidential election. Being the biggest Opposition party, the SP has a strength of 95 MLAs.

Barring a few independent MLAs, including the former State Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya, the the party has no ally in the Vidhan Sabha.

Ms. Patil is scheduled to visit Lucknow on July 11 as part of her campaign.

According to the chief spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Akhilesh Pratap Singh, she will meet Congress MLAs after her arrival in the morning.

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