MUMBAI, April 18: Widening its focus to incorporate the plight of farmers is emerging to be a new strategy of the Samajwadi Party which begins its two-day special national convention here tomorrow.The prevailing distress in the agrarian community figures high in the agenda of the party apart from its sustained attack on the ``communal forces'' and addressing the woes of several languishing in jail under the TADA.Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who arrived here on Friday night, spoke at length over the plight of farmers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. ``The farmers, who could salvage the crisis-ridden economy, are in distress throughout the country,'' Yadav said adding that his party would look into their issues. The hostile climate has pushed the mango growers in Konkan and Uttar Pradesh to the wall and the situation is worsening with the state governments' indifference, Yadav said.However, the party's thrust area continues to be minority oriented. ``The party would cometo the streets if the coalition government in Maharashtra fails to make the report of the Srikrishna commission public. ``There has been concerted efforts to shelve the report with a clear intention of shielding the culprits of the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai. The Samajwadi Party will not tolerate this,'' he asserted.TADA is another issue on which, Yadav said, the party would continue its agitation. ``The party agitated when in power and will continue to do so now to free the inocent people booked under TADA,'' he said adding that his government in UP had freed 1141 out of 1152 people booked under TADA, Yadav pointed out.He accused the Vajpayee government of non-governance. The government has been grappling to safeguard the interests of various parties supporting it rather than governing the country as a whole, he said. Dismissing the longevity of the Union Government, Yadav said it could fall anytime.The party expects over 4000 delegates to gather here for the national convention in which apolitical resolution would be discussed and passed. A draft political resolution would be prepared late tonight in a meeting of a core committee and will be put up before the convention tomorrow. However, Yadav refused to elaborate on the party's strategy for toppling the BJP-led government at the Centre. ``Our strategy would be to develop a mass-base across the length and breadth of the country on the basis of principles, policies and programmes,'' he said, adding that the party evoked good response from Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan while consolidating its base in UP.
