SP keeps options open on Pawar

Singh said so far, no talks were held with Pawar on a possible tie-up.

About electoral understanding in Maharashtra, Singh said, "We will discuss it and see what the Republican Party of India will decide." In the 1998 elections, the SP, Congress and the RPI had a tie-up to oppose the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in Maharasthra.

Singh said it was the right time for non-BJP and non-Congress parties to come together to form a sustainable Third Front, and appealed to the BJP’s allies to quit the coalition.

He refused to comment on Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet’s views onthe issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin saying, "I will not comment. He is a senior leader."

He also refused to comment on Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav’s statement that he continued to be the founder-member of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM), of which the SP is the main partner.

Singh said the national executive adopted a resolution congratulating the party’s "historical" decision to oust the BJP-led Government and prevent the Congress from forming an alternative at the Centre and reposed faith in the leadership of party president Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The resolution said the national executive expressed concern over developments in the Congress resulting in "fascist" forces raising their heads to grab power.

The crisis in the Congress was the result of the SP’s decision to not support the Congress in its efforts to form an alternative after the Vajpayee Government’s defeat, the resolution said.

It said the SP would make upholding of the country’s honour and democraticprinciples the major issues during the forthcoming elections.

Addressing the meeting, party president Mulayam Singh Yadav charged both the Congress and BJP with "finishing" the SP, which he said was fighting for the downtrodden and minorities.

Reiterating his party’s stand to maintain equidistance from the Congress and the BJP, Yadav asked his partymen to prepare themselves for challenges from both the parties in the forthcoming elections.

He also accused the Congress of ousting the Deve Gowda and Gujral Governments on the plea of the Jain Commission report.

Yadav described the resignation of Sonia Gandhi from Congress presidentship as a "drama" and alleged that the country’s politics were being influenced by foreign forces.

Referring to the proposal for privatising the insurance sector, Yadav said the Congress was ahead of the BJP in the move. He said the BJP, which believed in Swadeshi, did not lag behind in adopting several policies and programmes of the Congress. On the Bill for providing33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and Assembly, he alleged that both the Congress and the BJP “were together”.

Asked to comment on Samata Party leader and Defence Minister George Fernandes’ call for unity of Socialists across the country, Amar Singh said his party would consider the suggestion only if Fernandes quit the BJP-led coalition.

On a question relating to Sonia Gandhi’s security threat, Amar Singh said, "She should be given protection. Anybody faving a security threat should be provided with security cover," he added.

At the same time, Singh favoured tight security for Pawar and the other expelled Congress leaders, P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar saying they faced a threat from the "main Congress."

Referring to the situation in Kargil, Singh blamed Vajpayee Government and cautioned BJP leaders against politicising the matter.