Ajit SinghRashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh spoke to Editor Prabhu Chawla on Seedhi Baat on Uttar Pradesh politics, alliances, misalliances and himself.Q. So are you ready to topple Mayawati's Government? A.We have withdrawn our support and since Mayawati cannot sustain the Government she should step down.Q. After a year you realised her Government wasn't good. A.In a coalition government it takes time to settle things. Only then can one evaluate the performance.Q. You had bitter relations with Mulayam Singh Yadav. Now you are with him. Isn't this opportunism? A.In elections there is no clear mandate in favour of any single party, so political alliances are inevitable.Q. Why did your alliance with the BJP fail? A. There were many clashes. The BJP openly said it would break our party.Q. What is the guiding principle of your politics - your own interests? A. In my 18-year-long political career I have served as minister for only three-four years.Q. Chaudhary Charan Singh left the party in a good shape for you. You failed to sustain it. A.First of all, he didn't leave the party for me. Devi Lal, Mulayam and Karpoori Thakur were the three main leaders in the party after him. But they all broke away.Q. After working with leaders like him, wasn't an alliance with Mayawati a downfall? A.I admit that. But even Charan Singh had made compromises for chief ministership. You cannot compare leaders of this generation with the great leaders of yesteryears.Q. You have changed many parties and shrunk as a political leader with time. A. I played a key role in the Janata Dal. After its division, all component parties got shrunk.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Jun 30, 2003--- ENDS ---
