Amar Singh doesn't want to join government

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh has said he was not interested in joining the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) but maintained that without the support of his party the Congress "has no future in Uttar Pradesh".

"I don't want to join the government. But workers (of Samajwadi Party) think we will benefit (if I join the government)," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

"I just do not want to," he said.

He said that he would have to "accept the leadership of Congress under Sonia ji and the administrative leadership of Manmohan Singh whether I remain inside or outside the cabinet."

But he added: "Without our party, (the) Congress has no future in Uttar Pradesh."

About poll alliance with the Congress in Uttar Pardesh ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, he said: "I am not keen. I am not dying for it. But I am not disinterested either. The local Congress (Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee) is interested (in a pre-poll alliance)."
 
Hitting out at the Left parties, which withdrew support to the Manmohan Singh government over the India-US civil nuclear deal, Amar Singh said the Left parties have been often accused of wielding power without responsibility while propping up the government.

"I cannot duplicate the style of the Left in supporting the government," he added.