New Delhi, May 12
The anti-NDA secular coalition is firming up its moves and keeping its strategy close to its chest, even as the key player in the hung Parliament scenario, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, today said he was not in the race for prime ministership or deputy prime ministership.

However, he remained non-committal on the acceptability of Sonia Gandhi as the leader of the Congress-led coalition. But he discounted the possibility of supporting the NDA.

As the elections results would come out tomorrow, the political parties were cautious in their remarks. They kept their political strategy close to their chest and wait for the actual numbers to be in their hands to push for the hard bargaining.

Buoyed by the rout of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh Assembly election, the Congress had declared its intention to lead the anti-NDA coalition.

While the Congress President Sonia Gandhi met the veteran Marxist leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet on Tuesday, the CPM leader had a busy day today with former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Congress spokesperson Jaipal Reddy calling on him.

“I am not in the race for prime minister or deputy prime minister and I have said this umpteen number of times,” Mulayam Singh told reporters after meeting with the CPM leader.

Shortly after Mulayam and Surjeet were closeted for talks, Congress spokesman S. Jaipal Reddy arrived at the CPI (M) leader’s residence. He, however, claimed that he did not join Mulayam and Surjeet. “It was a case of pure coincidence”, Reddy said on his presence here, describing his visit as “routine”.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said his party would decide on its role only after the election results were declared. “In politics, strength is everything. Decisions will be taken on the basis of respective strengths.”

Parrying a query whether he would support a Sonia Gandhi-led Congress coalition, Mulayam Singh said, “Neither opposed to, nor supporting. Everything will be decided after the results”.

Observing that foreign origin was not his campaign issue during elections, he said “I campaigned only the issue of development. I never campaigned on who would or would not become the Prime Minister”.

However, he asserted that his party would endeavour to unite all secular forces, including the smaller ones.

Asked if the BSP was also one of the “smaller parties”, he said BSP and BJP were the same.

Later, Reddy also said his party’s “priority is to unseat NDA” and “Congress as the largest party will have a leading role to play in this process.”

Replying on the nature of a prospective non-NDA government, he said “unless the results are known, all questions are hypothetical. But it is a historical necessity that all secular forces need to unite”.

Expressing the hope that a non-NDA government would be formed, Reddy said he was confident that all pre-poll allies of the Congress like the NCP and the Left parties would remain with it.

Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, who called on Mr Surjeet, said it was a “courtesy call” to inquire about the CPM leader’s health.