SP not for poll tie-up with Cong: Amar Singh

Bhopal, Oct 21 (UNI) The Samajwadi Party (SP) will not go in for seat adjustment with the Congress in the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and other states but will tie up with smaller parties, its General Secretary Amar Singh said today.

''Due to senior Congress leaders engineering defection in the SP's Madhya Pradesh unit during the Rajya Sabha elections, the party has decided with a heavy heart not to go in for a poll pact with the Congress,'' Mr Singh said at a SP rally here, heralding the launch of the party's election campaign in this state.

Stating that SP President and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had a bitter experience with the Congress, Mr Singh said the SP supported the United Progressive Alliance regime after Left parties pulled the plug as it felt that the 123 Indo-US Nuclear Agreement was in the national interest and aimed at solving the power shortage.

Party sources indicated that the SP was exploring forging a poll pact with the Sukhlal Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Samanta Dal and Prajatantrik Samadhan Party.

The SP leader alleged that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was ''aping'' his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi in suppressing minorities. He also condemned attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra by Shiv Sena workers.

Referring to bribing of MPs during the confidence vote of the Manmohan Singh government, Mr Singh reiterated that BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh Faggan Singh Kulaste had said on camera that SP leaders were not involved.

Several leaders of the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party entered SP ranks in Mr Amar Singh's presence. Noted poet Manzar Bhopali also joined the party.

Mr Yadav, who was also scheduled to address the rally, did not turn up. Former MPs Ramanand Singh and Kalyan Jain were prominent among those present.

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