Jaswant denies PM name allegation

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi

July 5: Stating that the National Democratic Alliance did agree to give outside support to the UNPA candidate for the post of Prime Minister during the presidential polls, BJP leader Jaswant Singh denied recent allegation of SP leader Amar Singh that the agreement was on Mulayam Singh Yadav’s name.

"While canvassing for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, NDA’s presidential candidate in 2007, I had conveyed to the UNPA through AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha that we would provide outside support to their candidate for the Prime Minister’s post if they supported Mr Shekhawat. The support was offered for anybody they selected and not anyone in particular," said Mr Singh.

Following BJP’s criticism of its getting closer to the Congress over the nuclear deal, SP general secretary and UNPA spokesperson Amar Singh had recently alleged that the BJP was ready to support Mulayam Singh Yadav as the prime ministerial candidate of the UNPA. Maintaining a distance from both NDA and UPA candidates, the UNPA had proposed the name of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as their presidential candidate last July.