SP's habit of playing last minute tricks helps BJP: Raj Babbar

Nagpur, Sep 3: With Samajwadi Party pulling out of the 'grand alliance' in poll-bound Bihar, Congress leader Raj Babbar today said the Mulayam Singh-led party has the "track record of playing tricks" at the eleventh hour that ultimately helps the BJP.

"SP has a track record of doing something at the time of crisis. They will do some tricks and political maneuvering at the eleventh hour to betray others and finally help the BJP gain out of the situation," the Congress spokesman told journalists during his visit here.

The SP pulled out of the 'grand alliance' in Bihar today, stating it felt "humiliated" as it was not consulted while deciding seats and would contest the Assembly elections in the state on its own.

The decision ahead of the Bihar polls comes as a jolt to the grand alliance which was floated to counter the BJP in the state.

"By distancing SP from the Nitish-Lalu-Sonia alliance, the Samajwadi Party has not only walked out of it, but will virtually get closer to BJP," the actor-turned-politician said.

Describing the BJP-led NDA as "anti-farmer", Babbar said, "The Centre's U-turn on the Land Bill showed that earlier the Bill was going against the masses, particularly farmers, and hence they had no option but to allow the Land Ordinance die its own death."

Congress' stand on the Land Bill has been vindicated, he said. On the One Rank One Pension (OROP), Babbar alleged that the BJP government has cut a sorry figure as the war veterans have been agitating for the last three months.

Amid speculations about Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress president, Babbar said, "Many people in the party feel that Sonia Gandhi should continue to be the party chief." "But Rahul may be elevated to the highest post in the party," he added.

PTI