Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

MSY MAY ATTEND

BJP says looking for consensus but invitation not linked to Prez poll

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

Mulayam Singh Yadav could attend the dinner that CM is hosting for PM on June 20 but there is no word yet on Maya and Akhilesh

Though nothing is final, the probabilit­y of Mulayam attending the dinner invite is there SP LEADER

The BJP leadership, which is trying to forge a consensus among political parties on the candidate for the post of President, has sent out an invitation for dinner to opposition leaders but some of them may give the event a skip.

Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav may attend the dinner that chief minister Yogi Adityanath is hosting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lucknow on June 20.

However, there is no word yet on whether Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav or Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati would accept the dinner invite.

“Modiji had attended a wedding in Mulayam’s family and the SP patriarch had also attended the swearing in of the BJP government in UP. Though nothing is final, the probabilit­y of Mulayam attending the dinner invite is there,” an SP leader said. Mayawati had attended last week’s luncheon meeting of opposition leaders convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to look into the possibilit­y of putting up a combined consensus candidate.

“That is why Mayawati, who has also been invited by the BJP to the Yoga Day celebratio­ns at Ramabai Ambedkar on June 21, is unlikely to attend the dinner meeting,” sources said.

There is no word on Akhilesh Yadav too, who has been on the same page as Mayawati on the issue of electronic voting machines (EVMs). After Mayawati questioned BJP’s victory in Uttar Pradesh alleging it happened due to tampered EVMs, Akhilesh favoured holding elections through ballot papers. The BJP leaders, however, do not appear to be bothered about who from the opposition would accept the invitation.

“There is no need to link the dinner invite with President’s election. We want to forge a consensus because we believe there should be no politics in Presidenti­al election. That is why our leaders have been meeting opposition leaders on the issue,” a BJP leader said.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu recently met opposition leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to look into the possibilit­y of a united candidate for the post of President. BJP is close to the requisite number required to ensure its candidate becomes the next President. The opposition parties, however, want to make a statement by putting up a candidate.

Meanwhile, the BJP has made preparatio­ns to accord a grand welcome to PM Modi when he lands in Lucknow on June 20.

“The PM will be welcomed at several places in Lucknow. From the airport he will take a helicopter to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University. After the function he will return by road to Raj Bhawan and will be welcomed by flower showers at several places,” said BJP’s Lucknow unit chief Mukesh Sharma.

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