Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Wednesday attacked Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party for continuing their support to the "scamster" Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and said his party will not stake claim to form a government in case both withdrew support to it.
0After committing support to the United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday ruled out his involvement in formation of third front before the next Lok Sabha polls even though he had an intriguing meeting with Sukhbir Badal, President of national Democractic Alliance's key constituent Akali Dal.
Bracing for an opposition onslaught in Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will host a dinner for United Progressive Alliance leaders on Friday to firm up a joint strategy on various issues like Foreign Direct Investment that are expected to come up during the session beginning next week.
The Samajwadi Party on Sunday pointedly accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of attempting to 'blackmail' party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav , who had earlier threatened to withdraw his party's support to the ruling coalition.
Ahead of the Parliament session beginning November 22, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is meeting leaders of the United Progressive Alliance constituents and outside supporters to firm up a strategy to unitedly face any Opposition onslaught on issues like the Foreign Direct Investment in retail and price hike.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday sought to re-unite the opposition by apologising on behalf of the seven Members of Parliament suspended for unruly behaviour and demanding that the government express regret for using marshals during the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill. Opposition parties and those supporting the United Progressive Alliance government from outside like Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were united against it.
Apprehending that the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party would bail out the United Progressive Alliance on Foreign Direct Investment in retail, Opposition in Lok Sabha on Wednesday warned these parties as also Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam that history will not pardon them if they sided with the government on the issue despite opposing it during the nationwide protest.
In an exclusive interview to IBN network, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav ruled out any possibility of withdrawing support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. But he speculated that the Congress party will go in for an early general election, possibly by November 2013.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has questioned the granting of hefty funds to certain states by Pranab Mukherjee, the United Progressive Alliance's Presidential candidate, and sought to know if this was meant to influence the ruling parties including Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal - United and the Trinamool Congress.
Against the backdrop of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's attacks on the United Progressive Alliance and the Congress, Union minister Manish Tewari on Friday said the ruling party and the alliance know how to run a coalition. "The UPA and Congress have always shown that they know how to run a coalition and the current UPA government will complete its full term," the Congress leader told reporters.
Akhilesh's fielding candidates from a broad spectrum of castes, not just Yadavs, and with the BJP losing in several seats in Purvanchal, suggests that smaller OBC communities shifted from the BJP to the SP in the region.
The Congress on Tuesday reiterated that the United Progressive Alliance government has taken firm steps to bring back black money stashed abroad in the last three years, and criticized leaders of the National Democratic Alliance for lending support to yoga guru Baba Ramdev's agitation.
Amidst speculation that his party might withdraw outside support to United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav launched a tirade against Congress accusing it of being "cheat and clever" and taking the people for a ride.
Welcoming Trinamool Congress' move to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance government, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday said if Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party are "honestly opposed" to FDI in retail they should also follow Mamata Banerjee's footsteps.
The United Progressive Alliance government on Monday had a smooth sailing in Lok Sabha with key ally Trinamool Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party walking out and the Samajwadi Party withdrawing its amendments to the President's address, notwithstanding the hype surrounding their opposition on issues like the National Counterterrorism Center.
Projecting a united face on the eve of vice presidential poll, all constituents of United Progressive Alliance and those supporting it from outside including arch rivals Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati attended a lunch hosted by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Both Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party might be thoroughly opposed to the United Progressive Alliance government's recent decision to allow FDI in retail as well as the hike in diesel price, but neither of these parties are likely to immediately part ways with the UPA.
With the United Progressive Alliance starting to get its act togther ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday over seat-sharing in Maharashtra and some other states.
Amid reports that he is likely to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi soon to thrash out the contentious seat-sharing issue, Yadav said "I have complete faith that we will arrive at a settlement with the Congress very soon."
Political observers say that neither Mulayam Singh Yadav nor Mayawati have any intention of toppling the UPA government, as neither stand to gain from it. Sharat Pradhan reports
Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday admitted that he had offered "issue based support to the United Progressive Alliance provided it drops Trinamool Congress from the alliance." Pointing out that the UPA government's policies were against common people, he said, "We have opposed their anti-people policies in the Lok Sabha. Our support to them will be based on consensus over issues like national security, price rise and the plight of farmers."
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said that he does not see any prospect of early election in the country even though the Trinamool Congress may have withdrawn its support to Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
Rae Bareli and Amethi -- the respective parliamentary constituencies of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, have ceased to enjoy a VVIP status, following withdrawal of "no power cut" order by the Akhilesh Yadav government.
Even as suspense continues over alliance between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has said his party would not field candidates against the United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Friday came under sharp attack from Opposition as well as ruling United Progressive Alliance allies Samajwadi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which trashed his statement on Hyderabad blasts as "totally disappointing" and "devoid of any concrete and meaningful plan of action".
Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre was on a "ventilator", supported by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which were always talking about mid-term polls. BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the UPA government was the "worst and corrupt government," and the country hadn't had such a government since independence.
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, who was instrumental in his party's volte-face on supporting the United Progressive Alliance government and the India-United States nuclear deal, recently visited the United States to meet with the presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton who he says is a good friend. In this interview, he speaks about the nuclear deal and the post-poll scenario
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan on Thursday courted arrest in New Delhi during the nationwide bandh against Foreign Direct Investment in retail and diesel price hike. They were later released.
Samajwadi Party leaders Amar Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav met President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday. Amar Singh handed over to the President a list of Lok Sabha MPs who contested under the SP symbol.
Describing Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's remarks favouring a third front, as 'misleading', senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday sought a firm assurance from the SP on withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance.
Hitting out at Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for favouring a Third Front, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday dared him to first cut off ties with the United Progressive Alliance government, of which his party has been a "part and parcel". BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy claimed that Yadav is "showing a lot of desperation" about a Third Front, though he himself is supporting the "corrupt" UPA government.
Describing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government as "scam-tainted", Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday spoke of his party playing a major role in the country after the 2014 election.
Dr Singh is confident that his government will push ahead its reforms agenda.
In the backdrop of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam withdrawing support to United Progressive Alliance, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party state president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said his party's support to the UPA would continue and final decision would be taken by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
With the exit of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam from United Progressive Alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday sought to drive a wedge between Congress and Samajwadi Party demanding immediate removal of Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma for his remarks against Mulayam Singh Yadav.
"TMC doesn't have the numbers and will depend on other parties' support. Despite that, if the TMC leadership decides to go ahead, they should be prepared for whatever the consequences may be," BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi cautioned.
Bracing up for an Opposition onslaught in Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will host dinner for United Progressive Alliance leaders on Friday to firm up a joint strategy on various issues like Foreign Direct Investment that are expected to come up during the session beginning next week.
With the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam pulling out of the United Progressive Alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said the party is ready for the general elections as the continuation of the central government is not in the interest of the country.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav kicked up a row with his remark that rural women will not benefit from the Women Reservation Bill because they are not as attractive as those from the affluent class.
Attacking Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party on Wednesday said he has shown little to prove that he can lead politically and the country's future would be safe in his hands.
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