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RSP rejects plea to back Congress government

The Revolutionary Socialist Party, one of the constituents of the Left Front, today rejected the request of the Congress to extend support to it to form an alternative government at the Centre.

Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, Sharad Pawar and the Congress party's chief whip in the house, P J Kurien, met RSP leaders in New Delhi today and sought their help to form a government. The RSP leaders explained to them their position that it would not be possible for them to support a Congress-led government, RSP leader Abani Roy, MP, said.

The RSP was for forming an alternative government by the Third Front to be led by veteran Marxist and West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, Roy said.

Roy denied reports that the RSP ''has fallen in line'' with the decision of the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist to extend support from outside to the Congress to prop an alternative government.

However, leaders of the RSP and the AIFB would resume discussions later today with the leaders of the CPI and CPI-M on the formation of a Congress-led government with their support.

UNI

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