New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has made it clear to the Samajwadi Party that he is willing to consider an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming state polls – if Akhilesh Yadav is given full command of the party.
According to a report in India Today, Rahul conveyed to the top Samajwadi Party leadership that the Congress will support the formation of a Grand Alliance in UP if it agrees by consensus upon Akhilesh Yadav as the CM candidate.
Congress' poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday held a two-hour meeting with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is trying to cobble together an alliance of like-minded parties ahead of the polls.
Kishor, along with SP leader Amar Singh, met Yadav at his
Sources close to the development confirmed that Kishor met Yadav. There was talk in political circles that Yadav spoke with JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also in
Last week, Mulayam's younger brother and state SP chief Shivpal Singh had met JD(U)'s K C Tyagi and RLD chief Ajit Singh to invite them to SP's 25th anniversary in
Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of
The grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress had, however, scripted a glorious electoral victory, defeating the BJP-led NDA. Shivpal had recently blamed his estranged cousin Ram Gopal Yadav for Samajwadi Party's decision to walk out of the alliance in
Ram Gopal, a Rajya Sabha member, has been backing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in his fight against Shivpal. Ram Gopal was recently sacked from the party amid escalating tension between the rival camps.
Given the unusual belligerence shown by Akhilesh Yadav, the party apparently wants to fortify its position by bringing in new friends.
The SP's main aim in the polls is prevent split of Muslim votes for which it is looking for an alliance with secular parties.
