Open to Alliance with Congress in Madhya Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav confirmed that he was open to an alliance with Congress in Madhya Pradesh.

Akhilesh Yadav (L) and Rahul Gandhi (R). 

(Photo: IANS)

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav confirmed that the party was open to an alliance with the Indian National Congress in Madhya Pradesh as well as for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, The Economic Times reported.

The SP chief confirmed at a press conference that the party is open to an alliance, stating that the most important thing was the nation’s interest.

He also questioned the BJP government’s policies and efforts in the four years they have been in power, asking whether they’d accomplished any of the goals they’d set through steps like the implementation of GST and demonetisation.

About Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand assembly polls, Akhilesh said the SP will contest in those states.

If they (BJP) have a formula (for winning elections), we too have a formula to checkmate them. It’s not a question as to who is contesting against whom and how many parties are together. The matter pertains to the entire country and how to take it forward.

Akhilesh Yadav, President, Samajwadi Party

Akhilesh Dares BJP to Hold Simultaneous Polls

Buoyed by opposition victory in key Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party chief dared the BJP government at the Centre to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state in 2019.

Yadav went on to state the 2019 elections would be “decided based on issues and not on personalities.”

“We have no problem if the voters’ list is linked with Aadhar number. We have no problems with ‘one nation one election’. I ask them (BJP) to implement ‘one nation one election’ from 2019 itself and hold UP Assembly polls with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” he told a press conference at the SP headquarters.

The 44-year-old SP chief virtually threw down the gauntlet after the saffron party's defeat in the prestigious Lok Sabha by-elections to Gorakhpur and Phulpur and its recent drubbing in Kairana and Phoolpur Assembly bypoll.

How happy are the farmers? Are the youth employed? Demonetisation was supposed to eliminate black money. Did it work?

Akhilesh Yadav

While Gorakhpur is the home turf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Phulpur was held by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Even Kairana was held by a BJP MP, whose death necessitated the bypoll in which his daughter lost to the RLD, whose candidate was supported by all opposition parties.

(With inputs from PTI)