| HRD Minister Arjun Singh did not rule out the possibility of an alliance with the BSP led by Mayawati. |
| "It is an evolving situation and our party is keeping a close eye on it. Lot of unfortunate things are happening there," Singh said when asked whether his party favoured imposition of the President's Rule in the state. |
| Despite persistent questions over the issue, Singh evaded an answer. "There are issues, which you cannot be thinking loud about. (But) as and when anything that demands action, we will do it then," he said. |
| The problem seems to be the grounds on which the Centre can impose the President's Rule. Either it has to be proved that the chief minister and the ruling party have lost majority in the Assembly, or that law and order has broken down in the state. |
| It is virtually impossible to prove later because while several violent incidents have taken place, these do not constitute a failure of the state machinery to control the situation. |
| Singh said there was a "short discussion in the party but no conclusion was arrived at". |
| When asked as to how the party viewed the murder of a block Congress president in the Amethi constituency, represented by Rahul Gandhi, Singh said those were unfortunate incidents and given the situation, the party would take a decision. |
| The BSP has already demanded dismissal of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government and imposition of the President's Rule, while BJP veteran and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has asserted that the option of the central rule should be seriously considered. |
| On the issue of the Congress making an alliance with the BSP, he indicated that this could be a possibility. |
| "I am not aware of any such moves in this regard. But any type of relationship with any party can develop and such things are in the realm of possibility". |
| To queries on the Congress support to the Yadav government, Singh said: "He (Yadav) does not need our support, he has said this a number of times." |
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