Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday said his party would not have pre-poll alliance with any political party either at the national or at the Karnataka-level.
At an Iftar party organised by president of the state unit of the party and Channapatna MLA, C.P. Yogeshwara here, Mr. Yadav even said he had not thought about formation of the third front either. “It is of no use of speaking before the polls and everything will emerge clear only after the elections.”
To a question about tie-up with the Congress, Mr. Yadav specifically ruled out the possibility. “I’ve personal relationship with some of its leaders; not political relationship,” he said. To another question about the CBI going soft on him to facilitate passage of the Food Security Bill, he said it was media’s creation.
As his attention was drawn to the Congress leaders — former Railway Minister C.K. Jaffer Sharief and former Karnataka minister and Shivajinagar MLA, R. Roshan Baig — who flanked him on the dais, Mr. Yadav said the occasion was Iftar and no political meaning could be attributed to it.
Mr. Yadav said his party has had long associations with Karnataka and he had interacted with Socialist Party leader, the late Shanthaveri Gopala Gowda. He has been a regular visitor to Karnataka since 1988 and was in constant touch with political leaders. While S. Bangarappa had been its state president, the party suffered a setback due to certain miscommunication, Mr. Yadav said.
To questions about the forthcoming by-elections to Mandya and Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seats and the coming Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Yadav said the party would contest the elections on its own. How many seats would be contested and who would contest is left to state unit of the party, he said.
Former Karnataka Minister Goolihatti Shekhar, who was present on the occasion, said he would be contesting from Chitradurga Lok Sabha constituency in the coming election as an SP candidate.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Mr. Yogeshwara were present.
