Seeking more seats, RLD still looks to fit in SP-BSP alliance

Sources said RLD chief Ajit Singh may agree to three seats in the SP-BSP alliance although he is insisting on five.

Despite the Congress’s overture about a pre-poll electoral tie-up with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the latter continues to make efforts to find a place in the SP-BSP alliance.

Sources said RLD chief Ajit Singh may agree to three seats in the SP-BSP alliance although he is insisting on five. (PTI)

The party’s hopes pin on SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is said to have assured it of finding a way out of taking the RLD on board. Sources said RLD chief Ajit Singh may agree to three seats although he is insisting on five.

“We talked to Akhilesh Yadav after his joint press conference with Mayawati. We told him that the RLD must be offered a respectable number of seats and to which he said he would revert soon,” a senior RLD leader said.

The SP and BSP have announced their decision to contest 38 seats each, while leaving two each for the Congress and allies, which understandably is the RLD. Though the RLD had initially hinted that agreeing to two seats may not be possible for it, sources said the party may say yes if it is offered one more seat.

“Besides Mathura and Baghpat that they are ready to leave for us, we have staked claim on Muzaffarnagar and we hope the SP-BSP will not have a problem in leaving one more seat to us,” the RLD leader said.