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Tie-up with smaller parties likely, says Ajit Singh

LUCKNOW: Rashtriya Lok Dal president Chaudhary Ajit Singh said on Monday that his party would have a tie-up with smaller parties in a bid to forge a new political front in Uttar Pradesh. To begin with, the RLD has decided to go along with a lesser-known party called Rashtriya Sarvodaya Kranti Party led by the former Bahujan Samaj Party Member of Parliament from Sonebhadra , Raja Ram Pal.

Mr. Pal was among the three MPs who were disqualified following a sting operation about two years ago.

Mr. Singh said at a press conference here that he would endeavour to revive the Bharatiya Kranti Dal (BKD) of his father, former Prime Minister Charan Singh. The RLD president said the new political formation would espouse the cause of the backward, Dalits and downtrodden. He said talks were on with other parties, but refused to divulge their names.

On the possibility of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah joining the front, Mr. Singh remarked: “Dr. Abdullah is an old friend.”

The RLD chief said the proposed Third Front was yet to take shape and denied that talks were under way with the Congress for forming an alliance for next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Stating that politics in Uttar Pradesh has lost direction, Mr. Singh accused Chief Minister Mayawati of ignoring the common man’s problems.

He said Ms. Mayawati aspired to become the Prime Minister but if she continued in the same manner she could end up losing UP.

Mr. Singh said if the Chief Minister was indeed serious about trifurcation of UP then instead of writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, her government should have a resolution passed by the Vidhan Sabha. He said trifurcation of UP had become a possibility.

The RLD president was critical of the sugarcane farmers not being paid their dues.

He described the verdict of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court fixing the cane price as “unconstitutional”, and said the rate is fixed by the State Government.

Mr. Singh defended the fashion show organised at the official residence of former Agriculture Production Commissioner Anis Ansari in Lucknow last week.

He denied that the show was a promotional event. Even the Chief Minister’s birthday celebrations were held at her official residence, he quipped.

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