Rebel BSP leaders to join Samajwadi Party, says Akhilesh Yadav
Yadav ruled out any alliance with bigger parties. “The experience with both Congress (in 2017 assembly polls) and BSP (in 2019 Lok Sabha polls) was bitter. We will ally with small parties,” he said
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said rebel Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) lawmakers will join his Samajwadi Party (SP) amid reports that nine of them have met him. He acknowledged the meeting did take place but did not elaborate on what transpired and how many rebels met him.
“They (BSP rebels) will join Samajwadi Party soon,” Yadav told TV news channel Aaj Tak. He added many senior leaders have met him and others were in touch with him. “...they want to join SP and want to contest elections...”
There was no immediate response from the BSP, which contested the 2019 national polls in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the SP.
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Akhilesh Yadav said the people of Uttar Pradesh, where elections are due next year, want the Bharatiya Janata Party government out. He added the people are distressed over alleged corruption, Covid mismanagement and that the SP will win.
Yadav ruled out any alliance with bigger parties. “The experience with both Congress (in 2017 assembly polls) and BSP (in 2019 Lok Sabha polls) was bitter. We will ally with small parties.”
He said there have been no talks with Om Prakash Rajbhar of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party or All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen of Asaduddin Owaisi. Yadav said if any small party wants to talk, the SP is open to the idea.
Yadav said the SP will not field a candidate against his uncle, Shivpal Yadav, who heads Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia.