UF urges Surjeet to settle UP seats row

NEW DELHI, Jan 12: The United Front today sought CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet’s help in sorting out seat-sharing glitches among its constituents in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other North Indian States. The decision to use Surjeet’s good offices was taken by the Core Committee in the wake of the Janata Dal laying claim to a share of 16 seats in UP following Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s declaration that it would contest 75 of the 85 seats in the state.

Yadav is understood to have said the Dal was no longer a force to reckon with in UP and its claims were exaggerated. Soon afterwards he left the meeting prompting speculation that he had walked out. However, Reddy said Yadav left early as he had to go out on an election tour.

Ever since Mulayam’s assertion a few days ago, the JD and the SP have been indulging in a statement war against each other. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and JD president Sharad Yadav have been leading the assault on the SP.

Talking to reportersafter the core committee meeting, UF spokesman S Jaipal Reddy however admitted that Mulayam “will have a big say in UP” just as other constituents which were dominating forces in other states. Besides UP, the coalition has also been encountering problems in seat-sharing in Bihar where the SP would have to play second fiddle to the JD and Jammu and Kashmir where there is a tussle between the JD and the National Conference.