SP-BSP announce non-BJP, non-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh

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SP, BSP announce non-BJP, non-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh

The two parties, however, said they would not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli

Saturday January 12, 2019 7:25 PM, ummid.com News Network

Lucknow: Ahead of the 2019 General Elections, the Samajwady Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Saturday announced formation of a non-Congress and non-BJP alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

SP President Akhilesh Singh Yadav had on Friday said the two parties had got their "maths right". Announcing the SP-BSP_ alliance in Uttar Pradesh in a specially convened press conference, Akhilesh Yadav and BSP Supremo Mayawati said the two parties will contest on 38 seats each of the total 80 seats in the state.

The two parties, however, said they would not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. They also left two seats, out of 80, for smaller allies.

There were talks of Congress too joining the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. However, alliance talks with the Congress saw a deadlock after its victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

On her part, Kumari Mayawati while explaining why the Congress was not included in the alliance, said that during the Congress rule over the years, poverty, unemployment and corruption grew and there had been scams in various defence deals.

Drawing a parallel between the BJP and the Congress, Mayawati said the Congress had imposed the Emergency while the BJP is responsible for an undeclared Emergency.

In 2014 elections, the BJP had won 71 seats in Uttar Pradesh while its ally Apna Dal bagged two. The Samajwadi Party won 5 seats and the Congress two, while the BSP drew a blank.

Addressing the joint press conference called to announce the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav also hinted at supporting the Bahujan Samaj Party leader as the prime ministerial candidate.

"Uttar Pradesh has produced numerous prime ministers in the past. You know whom I will support. I will be happy if another prime minister comes from the state," Yadav said. [With inputs from PTI]

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