Mulayam warns Left of Cong game-plan

In reply to a specific question about his advice to Left parties to make a Third Front a strong alternative, Yadav quipped 8220;I am not in a position to advise them8221;. It is upto the Left parties to decide their political course and they have to choose the right side, he said.

Yadav made it clear that the Third Front means political parties representing the downtrodden, poor farmers, humiliated and ignored social sections, minorities and other oppressed classes.

The SP leader reminded Left parties that the Congress had compromised with the BJP on major issues like patent and insurance sector regulatory bills which are going to let loose economic anarchy on poor sections.

He, however, hoped that the Congress bandwagon would sink midway, indicating that Left parties would not back Congress during the coming polls. Yadav was highly appreciative of expelled Congress trio 8212; Sharad Pawar, Tariq Anwar and P A Sangma.

Yadav did not rule out a poll understanding with Pawar8217;s emerging front and asserted that the SP would make every sacrifice to make a third front a reality before the polls.

About the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Laloo Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh said that the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha would not be dismantled and observed that Laloo Prasad8217;s tie-up with the Congress was not a new development as the RJD government was being backed in Bihar by the Congress.

The SP leader said his party would maintain equi-distance both from the BJP and the Congress and its manifesto would be prepared by June 30 by a seven-member committee comprising Janeshwar Mishra, Amar Singh, Ram Gopal Yadav, Mohan Singh, Azam Khan, Kapildeo Singh and Rama Shanker Kaushik.

The SP would oppose the increasing influence of foreign forces in the country8217;s politics and its poll agenda would be to moblise public opinion against foreign forces interference in politics. Yadav chose to remain non-committal on specific questions against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and controveries regarding her 8220;foreign origin8221;.

Yadav said both the BJP and the Congress were determined to wreck attempts for revival of the third front as these BJP-Congress parties were strong proponents of the two-party system.

Asked whether the SP considers BSP as part of third front, Yadav recalled that the BSP twice formed a government with the help of the BJP.