Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has said that he forged an alliance with the BSP so that his father Mulayam Singh can win with “record votes” from whichever seat in Uttar Pradesh he chooses to fight the Lok Sabha polls.
His comment came days after SP patriarch Mulayam Yadav — popularly known as Netaji — expressed “displeasure” over his son’s decision to enter into a tie-up with the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party.
“I have made the alliance with the BSP so that Netaji can win with record votes in the State from wherever he contests the Lok Sabha polls,” Mr. Yadav said.
Ms. Mayawati and Mr. Yadav had jointly announced the alliance in January, saying the BSP and the SP will contest 38 parliamentary seats each out of the 80 in Uttar Pradesh. However, when the parties released the list of seats shared between them, the SP got 37 seats and the BSP 38.
‘With his blessings’
Asked about Mr. Mulayam Singh’s statement last week in which he sought to know the basis for “giving away” 38 seats to the BSP, Mr. Yadav said, “When I was going to address a press conference to announce the alliance with the BSP, I had met Netaji and took his blessings. I had informed that in the alliance we will be getting half of the seats.”
Following the seat-sharing announcement, the SP patriarch had said, “Now, we have only half the seats left. Our party was stronger.”
On the distribution of tickets, Mr. Yadav said, “The seats which we are going to contest are final. Now, the list of party nominees will be finalised soon. We have already identified candidates. There is no problem in it.”
When asked about reports of some SP members being disgruntled over not being considered for ticket, he said the party has been making preparations for the past one year on all seats and its leaders were asked to work on the ground in their respective areas and support whoever is given a ticket. “We all are united and contest with full force,” the SP president said.
Several times, decisions in politics are taken keeping in mind equations.
“Our ticket selection was on for a year, and we got 40 applications, the maximum, from those interested to contest from Amroha, 32 applied for the Jaunpur seat. We will take a decision accordingly,” he said. He said two seats — Raebareli and Amethi — have been left for the Congress and two for the RLD.
On the alliance’s objective, Mr. Yadav said, “Our fight is to save the Constitution and fight those who have taken two oaths, one of government and the other of the RSS. Our goal is one — to remove the BJP and change the PM.”