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The Samata Party national executive decided unanimously on Monday to authorize senior party politician and former defence minister George Fernandes to take whatever decision he thinks fit following the fall of the Radhabinod Koijam government in Manipur.
Speaking to rediff.com, Fernandes said he has no quarrel with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and would go to see him to sort out the matter.
"I have no personal grudges against Prime Minister Vajpayee. But I am definitely shocked by the way the BJP has acted. Despite public assurances from the prime minister and BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy, the Manipur state unit did not issue a whip, which would have enabled our government to sail through," he remarked.
Fernandes said the party had overwhelmingly supported him on various issues and he would take an appropriate decision with regard to whether the Samata Party should continue in the National Democratic Alliance.
Another senior leader of the party, Union Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar, said the party should first explore its options if it were to dissociate from the NDA. "Who can we ally with?" he said.
Fernandes seemed visibly upset with the way the BJP had treated him despite being convener of the NDA. He made it clear that he was not going to attend the NDA meeting that was taking place on Monday evening and would meet the prime minister later on.
He added that the party had not given him any time frame in which to take a decision on the matter.
RELATED REPORTS: Samata debates withdrawal from NDA Fernandes refuses to meet PM's aides BJP-led group to stake claim in Manipur Fernandes to boycott crucial NDA meeting Koijam government loses trust vote
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