By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party national general secretary Amar Singh Tuesday set to rest all speculation about a likely alliance with Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and said his party would have no truck with Chief Minister Mayawati as her government had “criminal” ministers.
Singh told reporters that not much should be read into last week’s meeting between Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP president Mayawati. He said the two attended an official meeting to choose members of the state’s human rights commission.
BSP and Samajwadi Party were allies in 1995 when they formed a government in Uttar Pradesh. However, the two parties fell out later and have been bitter rivals in recent years.
Singh said Mayawati’s cabinet had criminals as ministers. “At least three of her ministers, including Jamuna Nishad (who was arrested Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the murder of a constable in Maharajganj), have a criminal record,” he said.
He cited this as a reason for ruling out an alliance with BSP.