In an apparent attempt to act as a pressure group within the United Progressive Alliance, two constituents -- Rashtriya Janata Dal and Telangana Rashtra Samithi -- Thursday announced the formation of an informal group within to "review" the implementation of the coalition's Common Minimum Programme.
TRS president and Union Labour Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has had meetings with leaders of UPA allies in recent days, including Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, told reporters that the "non-Congress, non-Left" parties would like to deliberate on the implementation of CMP and other relevant issues and give suggestions to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
The labour minister's comments were echoed in Patna by Prasad, who said that the government has to run for five years and there was need for parties to come together for review on CMP as to what more needs to be done.
Reacting to the development, Congress said there were no cracks in the coalition and described such reports as "rumours".
Rao, who heads the five-member TRS in the Lok Sabha and has a grouse over not achieving his separate Telangana state, said, "20 months have passed since UPA came to power. We have made promises in the CMP. We would like to review the implementation of the programme and give our suggestions to the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi."
Denying that the parties are forming a "pressure group", Rao said the aim is to strengthen UPA so that the alliance can complete its five-year term smoothly.
Rao said, "There is no politics and conspiracy in this. We all want the government to continue in power for five years and do well. We are doing this on a positive note."
The meeting of the group, likely to take place sometime in January, would also discuss how 'coaltion dharma' was followed in the last 20 months, Rao said.
He, however, did not give either the number or names of the parties that would be part of the exercise.
Prasad said that it is the responsibility of all parties to ensure that CMP is implemented in letter and spirit.
"We have to run the government for five years. We need to come together to do this. How the programme (CMP) is implemented; more needs to be done on this. We have to work on all this, besides the ministry related work," he said.
Maintaining that the UPA-Left coordination committee is a mechanism only for the Left parties, Rao said there is greater need for coordination among partners of the coalition.
He cited Bihar poll outcome as an example where UPA lost power for "lack of coordination".
Besides the implementation of CMP, the meeting would also discuss the political developments like cash-for-query scam and subsequent expulsion of members of Parliament and other relevant issues.
All India Congress Committee general secretary Ambika Soni told reporters, "I don't want to make any comment on this as there is no confirmation of what Rao had said. There is no truth in that, there is no need to give credence to rumours."
She was responding to media questions on Rao's statement and whether his move would affect unity of the coalition.
Soni said several leaders of the coalition parties had informed Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, that they were not aware of any such move.
However, she said that there was a cordination committee of UPA allies as also UPA and Left coordination committee and allies have been meeting Gandhi and even Dr Singh to discuss their grievances.
She said TRS came into existence on the Telengana issue and whenever he (Rao) feels that the issue has not been taken seriously, he raises the matter.
Soni said Sonia had appointed a committee headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the issue of creating smaller states, including Telengana and whenever there was a consensus on the issue, it would be taken up.
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