The Hindu : National : “Congress-SP alliance in U.P. desirable”

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“Congress-SP alliance in U.P. desirable”

Gargi Parsai

Digvijay Singh

NEW DELHI: Even as the Samajwadi Party maintained that there were no talks with the Congress on alliance, AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh said on Saturday that it would be “desirable” for both to have seat adjustments in the State to defeat communal forces.

Mr. Singh, who spearheaded the Congress’ hisab mango (give account) campaign against the Mayawati government, said the party would work out some kind of seat arrangement with the SP.

He said the Congress had to strengthen itself in every Assembly and Parliamentary constituency. “But as a short-term measure, alliance with the SP is desirable. The SP is confined to Uttar Pradesh but it should be given credit for fighting and containing communal forces.”

Indicating that talks had been on between the Congress and the SP for some time now, he said the nature of the pre-poll arrangement was being worked out. However, he said, there was no “quid pro quo or any deal” with the SP for its support to the India-U.S nuclear deal.

On the SP’s charges against Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on inflation, Mr. Singh said price rise was a world-wide phenomenon. “Mr. Deora is not a member of the OPEC.”

Confirming that his party was also in touch with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal for tie-ups in western Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Digvijay Singh said there was a possibility of the Congress going in for pre-poll seat adjustments with both the SP and the RLD.

On Ms. Mayawati’s charge that it was an “opportunist” alliance between the Congress and the SP, Mr. Singh said she had been in and out of alliance with so many parties.

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