To Defeat BJP, Will Ally With BSP & Give Up Seats: Akhilesh Yadav

The statement comes in the backdrop of by-poll victories in Kairana, Phoolpur & Gorakhpur by the BSP-SP alliance.

Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati are likely to continue alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, addressing a rally in Lucknow on Sunday, 10 June, reiterated that his party’s alliance with once arch-rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would continue in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

Notably, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added that he would continue the alliance with Mayawati’s BSP even if he had to sacrifice seats to ensure Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is defeated.

Akhilesh’s statement comes in the backdrop of the recent by-poll victories in Kairana, Phoolpur and Gorakhpur by the BSP-SP alliance.

Our alliance with BSP will continue, in 2019 even if we have to give up a few seats we will do it. We have to ensure BJP is defeated.

Akhilesh Yadav in a rally

Akhilesh and Mayawati first came together ahead of the Gorakhpur and Phoolpur bypolls, snatching the two BJP strongholds away from the Yogi Adityanath government

Bua and Babua Bonhomie to End Before 2019: BJP

BJP leader and UP minister Swami Prasad Maurya, however, said that the alliance will not last long and end before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“The SP and the BSP will perish by fighting each other. This electoral understanding is not based on issues, and any electoral understanding deprived of any issue is not long lasting,” he told reporters in Lucknow on Sunday.

"By the time the Lok Sabha election are round the corner, the electoral understanding will break," the state Labour and Employment minister said.

Replying to a question, Maurya said the BJP contests elections on the development plank and does not bank on caste and religion.

"Development is the identity of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his presence felt across the globe due to development," he said.

(Text: PTI)