Sharad for consensus on President

The JDU chief parried questions about probable candidates for the presidency, like Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Karan Singh, saying 8220;it is all speculation8221;.

Yadav lashed out at the UPA for its economic policies. He said, 8220;These have benefited a handful of capitalists. Their UPA report card on the completion of three years in office shows an unbearable burden on aam aadmi due to a steep price rise, an increase in poverty, a threat to food security from SEZs and an impending loss of employment for crores of people due to entry of big corporate houses and MNCs in retail trade.8221; He said he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the retail trade issue.

Criticising the food management of the UPA regime, Yadav said it was already importing wheat, pulses and oilseeds while import of milk was under consideration. On the other hand, the NDA Government during its rule was exporting both wheat and rice.

Regarding the national rural employment guarantee scheme, he said it had been introduced in select districts. Besides, its delivery was far from satisfactory. The scheme, in his view, could not be a substitute for a sound agricultural and rural development policy.