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Leaders of our grouping are of equal standing: Mayawati

Special Correspondent

— Photo: V. V. Krishnan

NEW INITIATIVE: Leaders of the new grouping (from Left) Ajit Singh, D. Raja, Debabrata Biswas, Chandrababu Naidu, Deve Gowda, Mayawati, Prakash Karat and A. B. Bardhan at a meeting in Ms. Mayawati’s residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said here on Wednesday that leaders of the grouping of 10 parties were of equal standing.

She was speaking after a two-and-half-hour meeting of the 10 parties at her New Delhi residence.

The grouping comprises the Communist Party of India CPI(M), Ms. Matawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India, Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (Secular), Rashtriya Lok Dal , Indian National Lok Dal and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.

About the absence of Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K. Chandrasekhara Rao at the meeting she said he joined them for breakfast but left to attend to some work. “He is supportive of the initiative and his name will be added after he formally sees the decision taken at today’s meeting.”

CPI general secretary A. B. Bardhan was asked whether All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would be invited to this group. He said, “So far we have not discussed the issue. Please don’t rush us. We are moving step by step. This is only the first press conference of this alliance…It will continue.”

Though three constituents of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) attended the meeting, there was no mention of it in the joint statement.

The three – TDP, INLD and JVM – were named individually and the only person to mention the UNPA was its convenor N. Chandrababu Naidu. He said the attempt was to provide an alternative to the UPA and the National Democratic Alliance.

The fourth constituent of the UNPA – the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) – did not turn up. Sources in that party said it wanted to keep its options open. The Assam unit of the BJP had asked the AGP to decide by this month-end if it wants a seat-sharing arrangement. This is why AGP leader Brindaban Goswami stayed away from the meeting, the sources added.

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