Buoyed by the victory in the recent sugarcane price issue, Samajwadi Party is working on cobbling a Front to challenge the government in Parliament for which it is not averse to inviting BJP.
The initiative for this Front was in a way taken on Friday when SP General Secretary Amar Singh had met Leader of the Opposition and BJP veteran L K Advani.
Other than the sugarcane price issue, several subjects on which the two parties hold similar views came up for discussion at the meeting between Advani and Singh.
Amar Singh said on Saturday that he was not averse to discussing the idea of forming a Front with Advani as the two parties agreed on issues like price rise and internal security and differed mainly on “communal” issues.
The SP leader has already held a discussion with JD(S) Chief H D Deve Gowda about the Front. “We discussed the strategy to form a broader non-Congress Front,” Mr. Singh said.
The SP leader claimed RLD is with SP since the sugarcane price issue came up. RLD Chief Ajit Singh had firmed up a joint strategy with SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on demanding fair prices to sugarcane growers.
SP sources were confident of roping in N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP by Monday.
Apparently having in mind the collapse of Third Front prior to Lok Sabha polls this year, Amar Singh said the Front would work on forming a cohesive force which would stay together for long to take on Congress. Sources said Samajwadi Party, which extends support to the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, may even withdraw support.
The recent political acrimony between SP and Congress was triggered by the victory of the latter’s candidate Raj Babbar in Ferozabad Lok Sabha by-election. Babbar defeated Yadav’s daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav.
However, the withdrawal of support is likely to be at an appropriate juncture when SP can show that its main political adversary BSP - which also supports the government from outside - is with Congress.
Meanwhile, SP plans to take on Congress in Parliament on issues like tabling of the Liberhan Commission report on circumstances leading to Babri Masjid demolition and action on Sri Krishna Commission and Sachar Commission reports relating to post-Babri Masjid demolition riots in Mumbai and welfare of minorities respectively - all this in a bid to reclaim its eroded support base among Muslims.
The SP chief will also demand speedy trial of Babri Masjid demolition case which has been going on for 17 years.
