The Hindu : Front Page : “SP won’t oppose Pawar for PM if need be”

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Monday, Feb 16, 2009
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“SP won’t oppose Pawar for PM if need be”

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, political activities are hotting up with discussions being held on possible alliances, post-poll scenarios and prime ministerial aspirations.

Even as the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, which heads the United Progressive Alliance coalition, have firmly indicated the possibility of entering into a pre-poll electoral understanding and arriving at a seat sharing arrangement in Uttar Pradesh, political one-upmanship, the game of wits and pressure tactics have come into focus.

Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh said on Sunday that his party would not oppose Nationalist Congress Party leader and Union Minister Sharad Pawar for prime minister if such a scenario arose, but hastened to add that the party had no objection to Manmohan Singh’s second term.

“Right now, we have Dr. Singh as the leader. But in case Mr. Pawar gets a chance or Mulayam Singh gets a chance, they will not oppose each other,” Mr. Amar Singh told journalists after a meeting with the Maratha strongman. The two leaders discussed seat sharing arrangements.

The meeting came a day after Congress general secretary and Amethi Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi supported Manmohan Singh’s candidature for prime ministership.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has voiced her support for Dr. Singh’s candidature if the party and the UPA return to power.

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