Even as speculation over the assurances given to the Samajwadi Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for their support to the United Progressive Alliance refuses to die down, senior Congress leader Pranab Mukjerjee on Saturday said that he was not aware any promises made to the parties.
"I had not made any commitments to anyone. I don't know that any commitments have been made by anybody," Mukherjee told a TV channel.
He claimed that both the SP and the JMM were part of the UPA from 2004 and their letters of support were not withdrawn. "Can you tell me, when they have left us (UPA)," he asked
Asked whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was reluctant to bring back JMM chief Shibu Soren into the cabinet, he said it was the prerogative of the PM to decide on who all will be included the cabinet even "if it is a single party government or a coalition government".
On whether the Communist Party of India - Marxist was wrong in expelling Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee from the party for not quitting the post, the minister said he would not comment on it.
"But the Speaker's office should not be brought under the purview of party discipline or party machinery," he said.
More from rediff