Disgruntled SP leader wants Sonia's word of support

Lucknow, Apr 11 (UNI) Ruling Samajwadi Party leader Beni Prasad Verma today denied he would join Congress and demanded that AICC President Sonia Gandhi announce her party's support to his candidature from Ayodhya on the Indian Justice Party (IJP) ticket.

Mr Verma's newly-floated Samajwadi Kranti Party (SKP) has already announced support to Congress in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh assembly poll.

Talking to reporters and flanked by UP Congress vice president Satyadeo Tripathi, Mr Verma maintained there was no question of him joining Congress.

''...it would be appropriate for Ms Gandhi, if she announces support to my candidature from Ayodhya,'' he noted.

Since, SKP is yet to be registered with the Election Commission (EC), his candidates are fighting under the IJP banner.

Mr Verma further claimed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) broke the alliance with SKP, since it (NCP) refused to extent support to Congress.

Interestingly, Mr Tripathi did not interact with the newspersons throughout the news confernece.

Earlier, SP had made several efforts to mollify Mr Verma, but he finally moved his way.

On April 4, Mr Verma was provided Z-plus security by the centre, since he had apprehended threat to his life.

He has been claiming his candidates were being threatened by the state government against contesting.

UNI