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Samajwadi Party hints at joining Congress-led government

Justifying SP's stance, Amar Singh said: "Whenever there was a outside support, coalition became fragile."

Updated on: May 13, 2004, 17:58:00 IST
PTI | By , New Delhi
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The Samajwadi Party on Friday gave broad indications of joining a Congress-led government at the Centre.

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HT Image

"A better option for us will be to join the government. Anybody supporting a government, should support it from inside. That way we will be stakeholders in the government," party General Secretary Amar Singh told reporters after a 45-minute meeting with veteran CPM leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

He was asked whether SP was ready to support a Congress-led government.

Singh, however, was critical of statements by some of the Congress leaders that SP was in good terms with NDA. "We have been saying all along that we have never been with NDA", he said.

Justifying SP's stance of joining government, Singh said "whenever there was a support from outside, it became fragile."

The SP leader said Sonia Gandhi's leadership was not a issue but it was important to have a secular front.

"SP's central parliamentary committee will meet on Saturday to decide on whether to join the Congress-led government or not," Singh said, adding the party will take the decision after discussing with Left parties.

"The two (SP and Left) should not be seen separately. Together with Left we will take a decision," he said.

Asked whether reforms would be continued by the Congress-led coalition, Singh said "reforms are here to stay."

He also hoped that India Inc would extend full support to the new government, he said "industry has trusted NDA and there is no reason why they won't trust the Congress-led government."

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