George has SP in dilemma

That is why even though Mulayam 8212; speaking to reporters in Karnataka yesterday 8212; welcomed Fernandes8217;s 8220;unconditional8221; offer to join the SP, Amar Singh made it clear that he would have to distance himself from the BJP-led NDA first.

Fernandes, who remains the NDA convenor despite losing his status as Janata

Dal U president, has been at loggerheads with his own party leadership since his defeat to Sharad Yadav in party presidential polls earlier this year.

His ties with the BJP have also come under strain of late. The BJP officially distanced itself from his remarks against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The saffron leadership is not happy with his renewed closeness with Mulayam Singh Yadav either, in view of the impending Uttar Pradesh elections.

But even if Fernandes were to renounce the NDA, his past would continue to haunt him, sources said. In fact, the SP8217;8217;s adversaries in UP 8212; and they include the Congress, the new Apna Dal-JDU combine, as well as the emerging Jan Morcha grouping 8212; are already preparing a dossier of sorts on Fernandes8217;s 8220;services8221; to the Sangh Parivar during his long tenure as NDA convenor.

Fernandes8217;s stirring defence of the VHP-Bajrang Dal at the time of the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines in Orissa and his speech in Parliament that was widely seen as condoning the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat are key elements of the dossier.

That apart, his frequent visits to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and his attempts to effect a rapprochement between the RSS leadership and LK Advani during the 8220;Jinnah is secular8221;controversy are also being recalled in great detail.

8220;If George joins hands with Mulayam,all these facts will be brought out to prove that far from being a socialist, he is closer to the RSS than even many BJP leaders,8221; a UP leader said. The aim of such a campaign, clearly, was to damage Mulayam8217;s image among the minorities and wean away at least sections of the crucial Muslim vote to non-SP formations, the sources said.

Mulayam, it is true, shares a deep bond with Fernandes that stems not just from their common Lohiaite past but also from their antipathy towards Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The UP chief minister is also keen on using Fernandes to slam the JDU-Apna Dal combine in the state.

Fernandes8217;s ties with the BJP is not entirely an handicap. Congress insiders are convinced that Fernandes will remain a link between the SP and the BJP even if he formally quits the NDA and will play a useful role in bringing the two parties together in case of a hung Assembly.

But since the actual elections are more important than the post-election scenario, any threat to the SP8217;s Muslim base on account of Fernandes is likely to be unacceptable to large sections of the party, sources said.