We are ready for elections anytime: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday told a television channel that his party is prepared to withdraw support to the UPA government. HT reports.

Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday told a television channel that his party is prepared to withdraw support to the UPA government, dropping the strongest hint yet of an impending political crisis for the Manmohan Singh-led coalition.

Yadav even suggested that his party could pull the plug during the ongoing budget session. Such a move will put the government at immediate risk. “You will see what happens in the budget session. Our party brass will decide when we pull the plug.

We have our political blueprint ready after the pullout. We are ready for elections anytime. If parliamentary elections are held in October, it will be an ideal situation for us. But we are ready for any eventuality,” Yadav said on the show, Seedhi Baat, on Aaj Tak.

His statement comes a day after his father, Mulayam, praised BJP leader LK Advani and accused the Congress of being weak and corrupt.

The UPA government was jolted on March 19 when the DMK, the second largest ally in the ruling coalition, pulled out of the government over differences on Sri Lanka.

However, thanks to the outside support of 59 MPs, including 22 belonging to the SP, the government has managed to stay above the halfway mark of 271 in the Lok Sabha. But if SP withdraws support, the government may find it difficult to complete its term.

SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav also reiterated his preference for the NDA on Sunday. “The NDA-led coalition was better than the present UPA as it did not face multiple charges of corruption,” he said.