The Hindu : New Delhi News : SP turnaround will not affect UNPA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 05, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

SP turnaround will not affect UNPA

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Despite anticipating a bid by the Samajwadi Party to bail out the Congress, its partners in the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) were evidently unprepared for the kind of turnaround the SP leadership did less than 24 hours after pledging its commitment to the year-old grouping.

Though the strongest contingent in the UNPA – the SP has 39 members in the Lok Sabha while the remaining five constituents together have only 11 — has taken a line contrary to the stated position of the grouping on the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, none of the other parties was willing to write its epitaph.

Responding to questions at a press conference in Rajahmundry, UNPA convenor and Telugu Desam Party leader N. Chandrababu Naidu said he needed time to study the situation.

However, TDP spokesman M.V. Mysoora Reddy said the UNPA would move on irrespective of individual partners’ actions motivated by political compulsions for their respective States.

The UNPA is here to stay and would stick to its decision of opposing the deal, he added.

Describing the Samajwadi Party decision to support the deal as “unfortunate”, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Brindavan Goswami said his party remained committed to the UNPA and its opposition to the deal.

The SP had not contacted him or other UNPA leaders to inform them about the change in stance.

In Guwahati, AGP general secretary Chandra Mohan Patowari described the SP decision as a clear violation of the decision taken at the UNPA meeting. “We can never be party to SP’s unilateral decision.”

The Indian National Lok Dal leadership remained inaccessible though sources said the party had been given to understand that the SP wanted to meet other UNPA leaders on Saturday.

SP chief Mulayam Singh, soon after meeting the Prime Minister, said he would speak to other UNPA leaders.

But they had not been contacted.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi