In a clear indication that the Samajwadi Party is not rushing in to rock the UPA boat soon, party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav on Thursday said that the Lok Sabha elections could take place in October 2013. Another senior SP leader Mohan Singh, while asserting that the Lok Sabha elections would definitely take place before its time, said that his party would stay with the UPA till its “demise”.
In a loaded statement, Mr Singh, who is a close associate of the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, said: “Hum ek achhe dost ke tarah Congress ka saath samsaan ghat tak le jaakar chhodenge (we will part ways with the Congress after taking it to the cremation ground).” Mr Singh was reacting when asked how long the SP would continue supporting the Congress. “It’s tough for you to understand our support to the UPA,” said Mr Singh, while taking a potshot at the Congress by asking if the ruling alliance has the requisite number in the Lok Sabha why do not they prove it.
Mr Singh also said that the SP chief could become the PM if the party wins 60 Lok Sabha seats in the next elections. Addressing supporters on the occasion of the 74th birth day celebrations of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, the SP general secretary exhorted party workers to remain united if they wanted the party president to become PM.
Mr Singh, on the other hand, told party workers that their real gift to the party chief should be to make him the Prime Minister next year.
Sources within the SP stated that the party is not yet ready for the elections in UP and would like to give another year to the Akhilesh Yadav led state government to fulfill the commitments made to the people in the run up to the Assembly polls. “The party can win 60 Lok Sabha seats only if the Akhilesh-led state government delivers good performance for which he needs time,” said a senior SP functionary.