Decision on grand alliance by Mulayam, says Akhilesh

UPCC chief Raj Babbar says no initiative has been taken for an alliance either by his party or by any other political party in the State

Any decision on a grand alliance for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls will be taken by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said and stressed that he would give his suggestions only at party platform.

“I will give my suggestions only at party platform. Elections are near, who will be benefited, who will lose (in alliance) is to be taken note of. The decision is to be taken by party’s national president,” Akhilesh told reporters, refusing to publicly state his stand on the issue.

He was speaking outside Gayatri Prajapati’s official residence where he had gone to condole death of his cabinet colleague’s father.

When asked specifically about the possibility of SP joining hand with Congress, Akhilesh parried a direct reply, saying, “If SP and Congress want alliance, will you (media) stop it...?”

He did not elaborate on the query made against the backdrop of Congress’ poll strategist Prashant Kishor meeting Mulayam here, triggering speculation of a ‘maha-gathbandhan’ (grand alliance) similar to the one in Bihar.

Kishor held prolonged discussion spread over two sessions on Sunday just a day after top leaders of socialist-leaning parties attended SP’s silver jubilee meet — a move seen as an attempt by Mulayam to forge an alliance for the crucial polls hardly a few months away.

This was for the second time in six days that Kishor met Mulayam, who is trying to cobble together an alliance of like-minded parties.

The first meeting had taken place at Mulayam’s Delhi residence on November 1.

On the possibility of a grand alliance, State SP president Shivpal Yadav said: “When it materialises, I will tell you.”

Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihar’s grand alliance, had walked out of it after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there.

The grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress had, however, scripted a major electoral victory, defeating the BJP-led NDA.

Congress, on its part, has not closed its doors for any possible grand alliance for the 2017 Assembly polls.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Raj Babbar had said that no initiative had been taken for an alliance either by his party or by any other political parties in the State.

“No initiative for an alliance, either by us or by any other party in the coming polls has been taken, but Congress has not closed its doors for any such possibility which could benefit people of the State,” he said last week.

The UPCC chief, however, stressed his party “will not enter into an alliance or grand alliance only for numbers, as it were not important in U.P. polls.” On the possibility of a grand alliance in UP, State SP President Shivpal Yadav said, “When it materialises, I will tell you.”

Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihar’s grand alliance, had walked out of it after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there.

The grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress had, however, scripted a major electoral victory, defeating the BJP-led NDA. - PTI