‘RLD to contest 3 seats, Congress part of grand alliance’: Akhilesh Yadav

LUCKNOW: While formally announcing the SP-BSP alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal on Tuesday, the national president of Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav reiterated Congress was very much a part of the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance). RLD president Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Chaudhary said, his party would contest three western UP seats of Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Mathura, while they would unitedly contest all 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

Before the press meet and the formal announcement, Akhikesh Yadav and Jayant Chaudhary went into a huddle for over two hours and finalised their alliance to collectively take on BJP and set at rest speculation that RLD was separately holding negotiations with Congress.

Later, Akhilesh Yadav told reporters that the mahagathbandhan would not allow BJP to crush the Constitution by depriving quota to poor and backwards in university jobs and other places. The SP chief said, he was grateful to BSP chief Mayawati and RLD president Ajit Chaudhary for coming under one umbrella to defeat BJP in the ensuing elections. In reply to a question, Akhilesh Yadav said Congress was also with the alliance as it was contesting two seats of Rae Bareli and Amethi.