SP will support Pawar's PM bid: Amar Singh

New Delhi, Feb 15, (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Amar Singh on Sunday met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence here and declared that his party would support the Agriculture Minister's bid to become India's next Prime Minister after the elections.

Pawar's party is a part of Democratic Front (DF) government in Maharashtra along with the Congress. His NCP is also part of the UPA coalition government at the Centre.

Amar Singh also added that the SP will seek an alliance with the Congress.

After the meeting Pawar is said to have consulted with senior leaders of his party, including Praful Patel, Deepti Tripathi and Tariq Anwar.

The SP and NCP have been demanding seats from Congress outside their home turfs of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The SP also wants to contest a few seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Sunday's meeting took place after the NCP core committee met on Saturday and said that it was keen to have a grand alliance in Maharashtra, which would include the Samajwadi Party.

The meeting is being seen as an attempt to create a pressure group within the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The negotiating teams of the Congress and the NCP are expected to meet next week to discuss the seat-sharing formula for the elections. (ANI)