UP Assembly polls: Chandrashekhar Azad rules out alliance with SP, claims Akhilesh Yadav ‘insulted’ him
In a press conference, Azad said discussions on a possible tie-up went on for more than a month and said that Akhilesh Yadav 'does not want the support of Dalits'.
File image of Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad. PTI
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Saturday ruled out the possibility of an alliance between his party, Azad Samaj Party, and the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Azad claimed that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav “insulted” him and said that they are likely to contest the election on their own if the “divided” Opposition is not united, as per Indian Express.
This comes as a surprise as earlier in the day, talking about the alliance with the SP, Aazad told India Today, "The alliance has been confirmed."
Azad alleged that Akhilesh Yadav could not understand "social justice" and kept silent on matters related to Dalits. In a press conference, Azad said discussions on a possible tie-up went on for more than a month and said that Akhilesh Yadav "does not want the support of Dalits".
"He humiliated the people of Bahujan Samaj. I tried for 1 month 3 days but the alliance could not happen," news agency ANI quoted him as saying
"Yesterday Akhileshji humiliated us... yesterday Akhileshji humiliated the bahujan samaj," Azad was quoted as saying. According to a report by NDTV, the SP chief offered the Azad Samaj Party three seats, but Chandrashekhar Azad asked for 10 seats. A middle ground could not be established
“After discussions for a month and 10 days, I realised, in the end, that Akhilesh Yadav doesn’t need Dalits. In this alliance, he doesn’t have space for Dalit leadership. He just wants Dalits to vote for them. In the last two days, the Bahujan society has been insulted,” Azad was reported as saying.
Asked about the development, Yadav said that he had allotted two seats to Azad, but the latter received some call and refused to be part of the alliance. Yadav has allied with several small parties in the state and has emerged as the biggest contender of the ruling BJP.
Uttar Pradesh, what is considered to be the country's politically vital state, votes from 10 February in seven rounds in an election widely, which is being considered as a precursor to the national elections of 2024. The results will be declared on 10 March.
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