The Hindu : National : SP is ‘part of LDF government in Kerala’

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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SP is ‘part of LDF government in Kerala’

Anita Joshua

Amar Singh, Mulayam meet Prakash Karat
Dismiss Raje government: SP

NEW DELHI: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday claimed to have become a part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala following the decision of the State unit of the Janata Dal (Secular) to merge with it. While the JD(S) decision became public on Sunday, the formal announcement was made by SP general secretary Amar Singh here after a meeting with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership.

Organisational network

Briefing journalists, Mr. Amar Singh said that with the merger, the SP now had organisational network in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kerala.

On his meeting with CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat along with party president Mulayam Singh, Mr. Amar Singh said: “We went to tell him that our party has joined the LDF and its government in Kerala.”

The JD(S) has one representative in the Lok Sabha — M.P. Veerendra Kumar — besides five legislators in Kerala, one of whom, Mathew T. Thomas, is the Transport Minister. Besides apprising Mr. Karat of the merger, the SP leadership also sought to use the meeting to dispel speculation about growing differences between the two parties. On the violence in Rajasthan over granting the Scheduled Tribe status to Gujjars, Mr. Amar Singh demanded the dismissal of the Vasundhara Raje government. billing it as a ``terrorist” administration. He alleged that he and Mr. Mulayam Singh were not allowed to go to the affected areas by the government.

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