After Mayawati's jolt to Akhilesh, SP to contest Uttar Pradesh bypolls with RLD: Sources

As the SP-BSP alliance unravelled in Uttar Pradesh, the Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi Party might contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh bypolls with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), according to the sources. The sources further added that the Samajwadi Party will contest in 10 seats whereas the RLD will contest on the remaining two seats. RLD will fight from Iglaz (Aligarh district) and Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar) with the support of Samajwadi Party.

BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday declared that her party will fight the assembly bypolls alone, prompting Akhilesh Yadav to say his SP too is ready to go solo. "Yes, there are trials, and sometimes you are not successful, but at least you can know your shortcomings," Yadav told reporters here on Wednesday.      

He also said that he respected Mayawati irrespective of the political equation between the parties.  "I stand by my earlier statement that respecting Mayawati ji is same as respecting me," the SP president said.

He had made the statement earlier this year when the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) announced tie-up for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "As far as going solo in the bypolls is concerned, I will consult with party leaders and devise a strategy to work in this direction," Yadav said.

The BJP won 62 of 80 seats in the state while the opposition alliance bagged just 15, with the BSP winning 10 and the SP five. The Congress got one seat and the BJP ally Apna Dal (S) two. Eleven assembly bypolls are due in UP after the respective MLAs won the Lok Sabha polls. Nine of them are from the BJP, and one each from the BSP and the SP.

"The bypolls can be announced any moment now. Under the current conditions in Uttar Pradesh, we have decided to fight the bypolls, which will happen on some seats, all alone," Mayawati said on Tuesday.

 "If I feel that the SP president is able to fulfil his duties and convert his people into missionaries, then we can still walk together in future. There has been no permanent break as of now."

 If he is unable to succeed in his task, it will be better for the party to walk alone, she added. The BSP chief had called a review meeting in New Delhi on Monday to analyse the Lok Sabha results.

"I have to say with much sadness that the SP's base vote - meaning 'Yadav samaj' - has not stood along with the SP even in areas where they are in high numbers," she had said.