Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said here on Thursday that he was “not a saint” to refuse the post of prime minister if such an opportunity arises after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Yadav also did not rule out the possibility of early elections. “It seems the Lok Sabha elections may be advanced. However, I cannot comment on the matter with any certainty,” he told journalists at the end of the two-day national executive meeting of the party.
Asked about the prospect of him becoming prime minister, he said his party would not campaign for his candidature but he was “not a saint” either.
“If Mr. Deve Gowda can get a chance to become Prime Minister then the Samajwadi Party can get an opportunity some day. However, there can be no prophecies in politics. We will contest the next Lok Sabha elections on our own strength,” he said.
The SP would emerge as the biggest party in Uttar Pradesh in the parliamentary elections and would surprise everyone with the large number of seats it would win. It would also contest the polls in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand.
“The most important discussion we had during the two-day national executive meeting was on strengthening our organisation and extending our reach,” Mr. Yadav said.
On the role of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Rahul Gandhi in the national politics, he described him as a “young politician” and wished him luck for a future in “good politics.”
As for the likelihood of Mr. Gandhi becoming prime minister, he said: “It is his party [the Congress] that is going to make him prime minister. It will not be us to give him the post on a platter.”
“Third front only after 2014 polls”
On the third front, Mr. Yadav said it would be formed “only after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections after considering the political situation.”
His statement comes a day after a senior party leader suggested that the party was in favour of formation of a third front before the elections.
Mr. Yadav told journalists: “So far we have not discussed its formation with any party and will not do so [before the elections].”
Party general secretary Mohan Singh on Wednesday said the groundwork for a third front was prepared during a recent demonstration by certain parties in front of Parliament and the third front would “blow away” the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the next elections.
Asked whether the party considered the Left parties or the Trinamool Congress to be close to its ideology, he evaded a direct response. “That is a different issue,” he said.
After presenting the ideological and economic resolution of the party, Mr. Singh told journalists on Wednesday that the party was traditionally close to the Left.
“Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are becoming weak and are only involved in internal bickering,” Mr. Yadav said adding that they had failed to put any proper programme or policies before people.
However, the party continues to support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government only with the single objective of preventing communal forces from usurping power at the Centre, he said.
“Closed chapter”
On ties with Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, he said, “There had never been any bitterness in my relations with Ms. Banerjee in the past and there will not be in the future.”
Asked about their differences over the Presidential election, he said it was a “closed chapter” and a “dead issue.”
Keywords: Mulayam Singh Yadav, national politics, Third Front, Samajwadi Party
Voters of UP wanted an alternative to BSP to govern the state more efficiently and effectively and elected SP. They must be feeling more moserable now, looking at the way the state is being governed. If this trend continues there is no future for the party in its home state. So the idea of third front taking shape will end as a mere personal dream of Mr.Mulayam.
What these political parties pose in front of the media shaking hands
with each other and smiling faces and what happens behind the curtains
is anybody´s guess different. Trinamool must have bashed his party
yesterday during their meeting in Kolkata and now it is Trinamool´s
time to take revenge for the goof up which happened between the two
during the run up to the Presidential elections. Hence now Mulayam
says that the third front decision will be after polls. This time he
cannot think of forming the third front with the usual lots like CPIM,
TDP because these parties are on a weak wicket in their respective
states. So this time he has to look for new allies like - Trinamool,
BJD etc. Mulayam is simply trying to build up support base for himself
to be the PM in the future.
The chance of Mulayam Singh emerging as the third front leader is very remote. So the possibility he becoming the next PM is hope against hope. There is a likelihood of the Congress Party forging an alliance with Mayawati (BSP) and if that becomes a reality the SP strength in Lok Sabha will be reduced to about 18 seats. In such a situation no leader will opt for a Deva Gowda like regime once again at the Centre even for a limited time.
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