>A day after he is reported to have hinted at the possibility of a Bihar-style grand alliance in the State , Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday that Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh and the parliamentary board would take a decision on the formation of a political front in the State.
“I am confused as to what I did say (at Sant Kabir Nagar in UP) because different versions have appeared in different newspapers. I did not say anything on an alliance or grand alliance, but it was published,” Mr. Yadav said at press conference at Pragati Maidan here, before clarifying that any such decision and whether it would include the Bahujan Samaj Party, would be taken by the party.
Responding to questions on the possibility of arch rivals BSP and SP joining hands as traditional rivals Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (U) did in Bihar, Mr. Yadav said the relationship between SP and BSP was different
“Actually we need to keep an eye on who might want an alliance in the State. Can there be an alliance between the BSP and the BJP for the next Assembly polls?” he asked in a bid to deflect questions on the SP being part of any grand alliance.
Earlier on Monday, Mr. Yadav’s uncle and PWD Minister Sheopal Yadav asserted that the SP would form the next government in Uttar Pradesh “on its own.” It has a clear and huge majority, he told reporters.
The SP had walked out of the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grand alliance in Bihar.
There were hints before the May 2014 Lok Sabha elections about the SP and the BSP coming together to beat the Modi wave, but BSP leader Mayawati never rose to the bait, preferring to go it alone.
Development agenda Mr. Yadav said the panchayat election results in Uttar Pradesh, contested on development plank, had shown the way in Bihar.
“By the time UP goes to the polls next year, we will have a long list of development works to show,’’ he said, talking about the metro rail system coming up in Union Home Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh’s constituency.
“We might have one in the Prime Minister’s constituency [Varanasi] as well,’’ he said.
