New Delhi, May 26
Emphasising that she desired cooperating with the Centre, after her meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this afternoon, rather than having an approach of confrontation as evidenced in the past, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati gave ample indications that she might back a Congress-led UPA-Left combine nominee for the high office of President.
Significantly, UPA Chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi joined Dr Singh and Mayawati at the luncheon meeting which lasted nearly one-and-a-half hour.
Dr Singh is believed to have assured Mayawati of the Centre’s assistance in the development of UP.
Mayawati insisted that the meeting with the Prime Minister this afternoon and with Gandhi yesterday, were courtesy calls and that, her discussions revolved around matters pertaining to the development of UP.
She sought an assistance of Rs 15,000 crore in the form of a soft infrastructure loan for perking up the infrastructure and giving a push to development of the country’s most populous state including an international airport.
