Pranab says he is not aware of any promises made to SP, JMM

New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) - Even as speculation over the assurances given to Samajwadi Party and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for their support to India's United Progressive Alliance government refuses to die down, senior Congress leader Pranab Mukjerjee Saturday said he was not aware any promises made tothe parties.

"I had not made any commitments to anyone. I don't know that any commitments have been made by anybody," Mukherjeetold CNN-IBN's 'Devil's Advocate' programme.

He said both S.P. and J.M.M. were part of the U.P.A. from 2004 and their letters of support were not withdrawn. "Can youtell me, when they have left us (U.P.A.)?".

Asked whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was reluctant to bring back J.M.M. chief Shibu Soren into the cabinet, he said it was the prerogative of the PM to decide on who all will be in the cabinet even "if it is a single partygovernment or a coalition government".

On whether Communist Party of India(Marxist) was wrong in expelling Lok Sabha (lower house) Speaker Somnath Chatterjee from the party for not quitting the post, the minister said hewould not comment on it.

"But the Speaker's Office should not be brought under the purview of party discipline or party machinery," he said. PTI