SP will not join UPA-II: Mulayam

He reiterated that the SP’s support for the UPA government was to keep fundamentalist forces at bay. “My stand is clear — we are playing the role of opposition to the UPA government but will continue outside support,” he said.

Following the SP’s victory in the Assembly polls,there were speculations that the party may join the government at the Centre. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh fuelled the talk with his statement on Saturday that he would have no objection if the SP joined the UPA government. Senior party leaders Motilal Vora and Pawan Kumar Bansal were deputed for Akhilesh Yadav’s oath-taking ceremony.

“There has been confusion among the party workers also about SP joining UPA. It should be clear in their mind that we are now concentrating on fulfilling our responsibility in the state. There is no question of joining UPA,” said Mulayam.

On the Trinamool Congress’s tough stand on the Rail Budget,Mulayam said that was an internal matter of the UPA. “We are supporting them but do not take responsibility on the life of the government. It is for the PM and Congress to act,” he said.

Mulayam also ruled out the possibility of a revival of the third front. “It is true that several leaders from other parties came for the oath-taking. Those who could not attend had sent their representative and even called up personally. But a revival of the third front is not on the cards yet,” he said.