SP in no hurry to fire ex-top gun

The party also made light of the dissenting leader’s challenge that he was capable of winning Lok Sabha elections from the seats held by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s kin,including son Akhilesh,in Uttar Pradesh after contesting against them.

“Why did he not contest an election earlier? He is like a wrestler who has never entered any ring and if suddenly he faces an opponent then there is more chance of an injury to him. He should contest some local election first,” Mohan Singh said.

The party general secretary was sarcastic when asked to comment on Amar’s claim that he had even damaged his kidney while promoting the cause of the party.

“The problem is that one could donate a kidney but not the brain. It cannot be replaced,” he said. Replying to a question whether the party was afraid of Amar Singh spilling out “secrets” concerning the party and its leadership,Mohan Singh said: “The life of our leaders is an open book and there are no secrets. Therefore no one could blackmail us.”

On the other hand,the Supreme Court has given a stay on exhibition of one of the CDs concerning Amar Singh,said Mohan Singh and added that the dissident leader should himself make it public if he is for “openness and transparency”. Mohan Singh also made light of Amar’s meetings with members of backward communities and staging of “Rajput Sabhas” in Uttar Pradesh,saying that apart from a few “hired supporters”,nobody attended his functions.

He said though every party has a person like Amar Singh,political parties run on public support and the challenge before SP was to bring back its socialist moorings. Replying to a question on the natural allies of the SP,he said,“Forward looking and progressive forces were its natural allies.”