Samajwadi Party on Sunday indicated maintaining equi-distance from both UPA and NDA and hinted at abstention as a possibility in the Presidential elections.
NEW DELHI: Virtually pouring cold water on NDA's hopes, Samajwadi Party on Sunday indicated maintaining equi-distance from both UPA and NDA and hinted at abstention as a possibility in the Presidential elections.
After a two and half hour meeting of the party, Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh said the SP was formed not only to oppose communal forces but to wipe them away.
A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had consultations with Amar Singh seeking SP's support for the UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil, the party National Executive authorised party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to take a final decision on the issue.
"The sentiment of the National Executive is against both, UPA and NDA. With only 1.10 lakh votes, we (Third Front) do not have strength to field a candidate on our own. But a decision whether to abstain or field a candidate will be taken at a Front meeting in Chennai tomorrow", party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said.
Asked if there was any possibility of supporting Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, he said several leaders spoke at length and expressed their mind on the issue and unanimously authorised Yadav to take a decision on the matter.
However, he made it clear that though Shekhawat's record as chairman of Rajya Sabha has been "unbiased", his roots are in RSS. "He has been BJP chief Minister of Rajasthan state. He became Vice-President of India as BJP nominee".
Ram Gopal, the younger brother of the former UP Chief Minister said, "We have neither compromised with communal forces and nor will we do so".
The third front comprising parties like TDP, AIADMK is meeting in Chennai tomorrow to finalise their stand on the presidential election.
AIADMK Chief Jayalalithaa has ruled out support to Congress candidate and had talked about two other options of either absention or support to a candidate who has already expressed his intention to contest, issues that will come up for discussion at Monday's meeting.
Ram Gopal refused to comment on whether the party's national executive discussed any candidate for the top job.
Asked whether party general secretary Amar Singh's meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday had anything to do with any compromise, he said Samajwadi Party does not believe in such things.
To a pointed question on whether Mayawati's full support to Sonia Gandhi on the issue had anything to do with bargaining for her cases, he said BSP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was successful in "trading" with the UPA leadership.
On AIADMK's opposition to the Congress candidate, Yadav said so far no decision has been taken on the issue. "We are meeting tomorrow at her residence in Chennai and will take a decision on the matter".
On the candidature of UPA nominee Pratibha Patil, he said people came to know about her only a few days back.
"We respect her as she is governor of a state. But her stature is not so high as compared to Shekhawat".
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