Amid talks of a Bihar-like anti-BJP mahagathbandhan shaping up in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh on Thursday ruled out any alliance in the State for the coming Assembly polls.
Responding to a question by reporters here, Mr. Singh, however, said his party was open to mergers. “The SP will not engage in any alliance, if anybody wants a merger, we will do that,” the SP chief said at a press conference convened to address his point on the demonetisation issue.
Mr. Singh’s comments came a day after his son, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said though his party could fight alone, in presence of an alliance it would clear the 300 seat mark in the 403-seat UP Assembly. The Yadav scion had said the final call on an alliance would be taken by his father, even as it is known that his uncle Shivpal Yadav favours the coming together of all socialist parties.
SP sources, however, indicated that by publicly dismissing the chances of an alliance, Mr. Singh was merely engaging in ‘pressure politics.’ The sources also said that with talks of a united front against the BJP, the SP was hoping for a consolidation of Muslim voters, which the BSP has been aggressively wooing.
Speculations have been rife of a SP and Congress alliance, along with the RLD and a few other regional parties, after the appearance of erstwhile Janata Party members at the SP’s silver jubilee function and the meetings of Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor with both Akhilesh and Mulayam. At the November 5 event, the Janata Parivar leaders pitched for the need to unite against the BJP and also to forge a collective opposition for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Mulayam himself raised the call for a united front, saying there was a “need to rethink unitedly” about the nation’s problems. The event was attended by former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Prime Minister H.D Deve Gowda, RLD chief Ajit Singh, Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala, Janata Dal (United)’s Sharad Yadav and noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani.
Taking a dig at the SP for trying to forge an alliance in UP, BSP chief Mayawati termed it an admission of defeat. She also reiterated that her party would “not enter into any political understanding with any party” in UP, Uttarakhand or Punjab.
