New Delhi: In a tit-for-tat action, Congress today (Mar 30, 2004) rejected Samajwadi Party's plea for an alliance in Maharashtra after being snubbed by it in key Uttar Pradesh.

"Why should we have an alliance with SP in Maharashtra. There is no question of an alliance, Samajwadi Party does not believe in secular alliance. Their tactics is to support the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)," party spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters.

He, however, repeatedly parried a question whether the Congress would withdraw its support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in UP, saying "taking a good decision takes time".

To a question on the refusal of former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani to contest against the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow in the absence of Opposition unity, Sibal said the Congress had announced that it would like to support him as a common Opposition candidate against Vajpayee.

When pointed out that the Samajwadi Party had already announced a candidate for Lucknow, Sibal said that the SP had deliberately nominated a candidate whose presence would only help Vajpayee.