Hectic parleys among non-NDA parties to form Govt Wednesday, May 12 2004 14:23 Hrs (IST)
New Delhi:
With the spectre of hung Parliament looming large, leaders of non-NDA (National Democratic Alliance) parties today (May 12, 2004) held hectic strategic sessions for the formation of a secular Government at the Centre.
Following up his meeting with veteran Communist Party Marxist (CPM) leader H S Surjeet last night (May 11, 2004), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who could play a key role in the formation of the new Government, held another round of parleys with him this afternoon.
Shortly after the two leaders went into a huddle at the CPM leader's residence, Congress chief spokesman S Jaipal Reddy joined them.
Asked what was on the agenda just before he went in for the parleys, Reddy told reporters "I come to meet Surjeet routinely."
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had held separate meetings with Surjeet yesterday.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda also drove to the CPM leader's residence this morning to discuss the evolving political situation.
Surjeet and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu have made it clear that they favoured Congress-led Government at the Centre while the Samajwadi Party has maintained that it would work for the formation of a non-NDA Government.