Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday remained non-committal on his support to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi's prime ministerial ambitions and made it clear that he believes in issue-based support to any party.
Also see: Mulayam thanks Sonia | More news reports
To a question if he will support Gandhi if she got the opportunity to become the prime minister of India, Yadav said: "This is an irrelevant question. Are Lok Sabha elections being held now? Where is the issue of prime ministership? Where is the majority to form a government? Our stand is for issue-based support."
Yadav was addressing a press conference in New Delhi, his first after taking over as chief minister in Lucknow.
| |||||||||||
Asked whether he will take a lead in bringing secular forces together at the national level, he said his party favours joining hands with like-minded parties."We will give and take issue-based support. We have never talked of forming any front nor we have formed one."
He said he will soon convene a dinner meeting of opposition leaders in Delhi.
Yadav was evasive when asked whether his party will support the Congress in the forthcoming elections in four states. He said the respective state units of the party will take a call when time comes.
Yadav, who met Gandhi two days back, appealed to the Congress president to reconsider her decision to support his government from outside.
On investigations into alleged land scams in UP during Mayawati's regime, the chief minister said the Supreme Court has asked the state government to furnish detailed report on properties owned by certain people.
He was apparently referring to the apex court's directions in the Taj Heritage Corridor project.
More from rediff