Mukherjee meets Amar Singh

Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh had talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee as the Congress searches for new allies to cobble up a majority to form the next government.  

The talks between the two took place close on the heels of the AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh seeking to break the ice with the SP General Secretary by calling him up.  

Highly placed Congress sources dismissed speculation that there was any talk of portfolios at the meeting.  

The refrain in the Congress camp is that ministerial portfolios could only be discussed when the results are out.   

Amar Singh said SP's long term relationship would depend on what the party got after "bargaining", which would be based on the number of seats SP secures.   

"Congress will talk to us if we have the numbers," Singh said.

"I spoke to Pranab Mukherjee. There was nothing political about it. It was an informal call as he is is like my elder brother," Amar Singh told reporters here.   

When asked whether he had spoken to BJP chief Rajnath Singh, the SP leader said he met him at a marriage last evening.  

"Political life is different from personal life. We belong to the same caste and know each other. He had invited me for a function and we had an informal chat and we had no political discussion," he said.  

He said his party cannot go with BJP, which bats for article 370 and Ram temple.   

The SP leader said that he could meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar on May 17 along with Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan.  

On talks with other leaders, he said, "I have already spoken to Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi twice and will speak to him again".  

With only a day left for declaration of election results, Samajwadi Party has opened communication links with various parties for a prospective post poll alliance.      

SP, which has formed the fourth front along with RJD and LJP, has announced that it will come out with its future strategy on May 17.