Now one-UPmanship over MP

Singh asked Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi to explain how while he advocates the Congress’ secular ideology, his father L.M. Singhvi, with whom he lives under the same roof, is a BJP supporter. He also cited the case of Congress leader Rajiv Shukla whose close relative Ravi Shankar Prasad is I&B Minister in the NDA Government.

Attacking the BJP, Singh said that Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s statement on ‘‘similarities’’ between the BJP and the SP was aimed at confusing and dividing the Muslim votes.

‘‘If Vajpayee did not find any ideological differences with the SP, he could join our party after explaining to the country the Best Bakery matter, the Gujarat massacre and other contentious issues and tender an apology to the country,’’ he said.‘‘The BJP is an expert in spreading rumours and the statements are a conspiracy against the SP,’’ Singh added.

To a question on speculation about the possibility of SP supporting NDA after the elections, he said, ‘‘our party is committed to work towards providing a secular alternative at the Centre and is in regular touch with CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet’’.

Dismissing the exit polls as unreliable, Singh said the pollsters had given SP only five seats in the last Lok Sabha elections but the party had won 27. He claimed that of the 32 seats which went to polls yesterday, the SP would win 22 seats.