The stand of Digvijay Singh and Iqbal Singh against the inclusion of Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh in the cabinet is logical and correct (‘Back in business, UPA discusses government berths’, May 18). Lalu, Mulayam and Ram Vilas Paswan ditched the Congress just before elections as they were confident of becoming kingmakers after the elections. Lalu offered only three seats to the Congress while Amar Singh was emphatic in saying that no government at the Centre is possible without the Samajwadi Party (SP). But the voter has given a big jolt to the SP in Uttar Pradesh and left Lalu Prasad with only four seats in Bihar while Ram Vilas Paswan has been defeated. It is amusing to see Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh now rushing to Manmohan Singh with unsolicited support SP. This time Congress has no compulsion to ally with these proven opportunistic, power-hungry and untrustworthy leaders. It should take the pre-poll allies, like-minded small parties and independents to make the requisite numbers for forming the government. In case of Cabinet portfolios, it is in the national interest that the four key portfolios — Home, Finance, Defence and External affairs — are held by the Congress.
M C Joshi, Lucknow
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