Kolkata, Sep 13: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Wednesday made clear his prime ministerial ambition, saying he was not a saint, and pointed out that if H.D. Deve Gowda could get a chance to occupy the post, such an opportunity could come before his party also.
"It depends upon the opportunity. Even Deve Gowda got such an opportunity. So such an opportunity can come before the Samajawadi Party also. There can be no prophecy in politics."
"My party will not campaign (on making me prime minister). But I am not a saint," Mulayam Singh told media persons here to queries whether he wanted to become the prime minister.
Deve Gowda, of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), was the country's prime minister between 1996 and 1997 during the United Front regime in which the Samajwadi Party was a prominent partner.
When a scribe asked how he felt at the media projecting him as the country's next prime minister, the Samajwadi Party supremo said: "I thank you for that comment. But I would like to say that right now I am not the prime ministerial candidate."
Blaming the wrong and weak policies of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for the price rise, he said his party would strongly protest against the price rise of fuels and essentials.
"It is because of the wrong policies and weaknesses of the centre that prices have gone up. It has failed to act strongly against the hoarders. Price rise can take place if there is scarcity. However, there is a very high production of sugar and food grains. These are rotting in godowns. But the government does not conduct raids on hoarders," he said.
Mulayam Singh also said his party would strongly oppose any attempt on the part of the union government to raise the price of diesel and cooking gas.
"We would oppose any move to raise prices of diesel and cooking gas. The price rise of fuel directly affects the common man and farmers," he said.
