Samajwadi Party says will support Somnath for Presidentship

New Delhi, Feb 19 (UNI) The Samajwadi Party today said it would support Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterji 's candidature in the coming Presidential elections.

The party dismissed all reports that it was putting up film star Amitabh Bcahchan for the post.

''Neither we have made any statement giving such indications nor has Mr Bachchan himsel said so,'' SP general secretary Amar Singh told a news conference, which he addressed with former foreign Minister and suspended Congressman Natwar Singh and party MP Jaya Bachchan here this evening.

He also said the party would give the CPI-M ''all it wants ''in the coming polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Mr Singh reiterated his charge that the Congress wanted to dismiss the Mulayam Singh government in the state to neutralise SP votes in the coming presidential elections.

''We have authentic information that the Governor has recommended President's rule for at least six months, which means that polls for the post of President would be held without state legislators taking part in the voting,'' he said.

This a very dangerous move and against all norms of the federal set up, he added.

He sought to stress that the Supreme Court judgement disqualifying 13 BSP MLAs which was being made as a ground for dismising the SP-led Governmemt, had not at any place commented on the legality of the government.

Even if the total 37 MLAs were disqualified, the SP still was in majority with 210 Members, he claimed.

UNI