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Mulayam not to join any front

December 31, 2003 14:52 IST

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday ruled out joining any front to fight the Lok Sabha election.

"We will extend or take support on the basis of issues," he said at a press conference after separate meetings with Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Defence Minister and National Democratic Alliance convenor George Fernandes.

According to Surjeet, Yadav promised all help to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party. "He is one with us on the question of defeating BJP."

Surjeet also said efforts were underway to form two fronts -- one led by the Congress and the other comprising the Left parties and likeminded groups.

But he parried a question on the acceptance of Congress president Sonia Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate.

"The direction of both fronts will be the same but we will move separately," he said, adding, "the first issue before us is defeating the BJP. Other issues can be worked out later."

Surjeet said he would meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M Karunanidhi in Chennai on January 3.

The DMK leader had also voiced his readiness to contribute to the defeat of the BJP, he said.


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