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Oust BJP is RLM's top priority

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha leadership, comprising Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Laloo Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, has accorded top priority to enticing the Congress in its bid to oust the A B Vajpayee government.

While requesting anonymity, a senior RLM leader told this correspondent that Mulayam Singh and Laloo Prasad were greatly enthused by the "overwhelming response" that greeted the formation of the alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Consequently, the RLM leadership has realised there is a ground swell of support for its campaign aimed at toppling the Bharatiya Janata Party government and has accorded top priority to wooing the Congress in the campaign, despite Congress president Sonia Gandhi's reluctance to join the alliance.

Senior RJD officials also pointed out that Mulayam Singh and Laloo Yadav are drawing up a blueprint to ensure that the Congress supports the campaign to topple the BJP-led government.

In this context, it was pointed out that besides Sonia, the RLM leadership is currently engaged in "sounding out" other Congress leaders for the purpose. However, the RLM leadership is exercising care since the Congress president has already projected her disinclination to join the campaign, other Congress leaders cannot go against her declared stance and, therefore, are being approached as surreptitiously as possible.

Since the combined strength of the Congress, United Front and other parties in the Lok Sabha amounts to 261, the Mulayam-Laloo duo is aware that the Congress holds the lion's share of seats. That is why the RLM leaders are stressing it is vital for the Congress to join the campaign.

The recent showcause notice issued by the Congress high command to two of Sharad Pawar's associates is being keenly watched by the RLM leadership. The two Yadavs are not averse to exploiting the possible rift between Pawar and Sonia over the showcause notice.

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