Trying some ‘‘damage control’’ a day after the Prime Minister’s olive branch to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, CPI(M) leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet today asked RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav to take back his words and sound more accommodating towards the other Yadav.Refusing to attach much credence to the Yadav-vs-Yadav fight, Surjeet said: ‘‘It is nothing new. But we are sure that we can sort out the problem. All the Opposition parties have to come together.’’Talking from Kerala over phone, the ailing Marxist veteran admitted he has spoken to Mulayam and SP general secretary Amar Singh and Laloo.‘‘These things happen. But where will he (Mulayam) go? The secular parties will stay together,’’ he said.Asked whether he would prefer to have the BSP on board (if Laloo insists), Surjeet said: ‘‘Where does the question of choice come? She can come, if she wants.’’ On May 1, Surjeet will be holding a preliminary meeting to take stock of the situation with CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi in Chennai. Though Surjeet has swung into action to ‘‘protect’’ Mulayam from BJP, the fact remains that he was unable to stop him from falling for Vajpayee’s sweet-talk even two weeks ago.Surjeet, Left sources said, had advised him to keep off the BJP during the election period and to adopt ‘‘if not active but passive pro-Congress stand’’. ‘‘But he got carried away. Now he realises his mistake. After all the NDA will never make him the prime minster,’’ the sources added.The latest input from UP, sources said, showed a possibility of Mulayam’s stock going down and BSP doing better. Today, Bardhan, who has criticised Mulayam and Laloo for being more interested in the PM’s chair, said: ‘‘We want Laloo and we want Mulayam to be with us.” He avoided committing himself on Mayawati.
