A day after Kalyan Singh quit the Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and general secretary Amar Singh met him amid indications that they may reach a political understanding ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
"I am here to meet him (Kalyan). In politics there is no respect for those who come from an ordinary family and they are sidelined. Casteist remarks are made against them. This is not a good sign in politics," Yadav, who went to the former BJP leader's residence, told reporters.
He was apparently referring to Kalyan Singh's remarks on Tuesday that he had been "humiliated and insulted" in the BJP. Yadav said former Prime Minister Charan Singh was also attacked by rivals and such an atmosphere was not good for politics.
"This is an association (SP and Kalyan Singh) for the cause of poor, farmer, Dalits and backwards," Yadav said.
Asked about the possibility of Kalyan's son Rajbir Singh joining the Samajwadi Party, Yadav said that it would be known shortly. When asked about the meeting, Kalyan Singh said "We will take up the cause of Dalits, backwards, farmers and downtrodden in the days to come. It's a friendship and not an alliance (with SP)". Asked about any talks on seat-sharing, Singh said, "Dosti me ye sab baat nahi hoti" (There are no such talks in friendship).
Kalyan Singh said he was feeling relieved and was getting phone calls of his supporters congratulating him on his move to quit the BJP. "My supporters in the BJP are uniting and will be leaving the party soon," he said. Asked about the seat on which he would contest elections, Kalyan Singh said he had yet to decide whether to contest elections or not.
Terming Amar Singh as a pillar in the SP, Kalyan said "In Amar Singh the party has got a "Chanakya", adding the "Trimurti" (He, Mulayam and Amar) would change the political scenario in the days to come".
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