SP authorised Mulayam to take stand on Prez poll

New Delhi, June 17 (UNI) The Samajwadi Party today authorised its president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to take appropriate decision with regard to the party's stand in the July 19 Presidential election.

A meeting of the National Executive of the party decided against supporting the UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil and the NDA candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, party's parliamentary party leader Ram Gopal Yadav told mediapersons here.

After the meeting, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and party General Secretary Amar Singh left here for Chennai to attend the meeting of the "Third Front", an amalgam of eight political parties, which is likely to announce its own Presidential candidate tomorrow. Replying to a question, Mr Yadav said the party would not support the candidature of Mr Shekhawat, who was a ''RSS man'' and BJP chief minister of Rajasthan. "Ours is a party which always fight against communal forces," he said.

Mr Yadav said the party also felt that UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil did not have the stature to become President of India.

Asked if the party was not in favour of the country getting its first woman president, Mr Yadav said "What is the use of having a woman President who will be a rubber stamp." UNI