New Delhi:
Ahead of 2019 General Elections, the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday announced that they will contest the coming Lok Sabha polls together in Uttar Pradesh. They will be sharing 38 seats each of the 80 in the state and left Amethi and Rae Bareli seats for Congress, though the party is not part of the alliance. However, the Congress party is still hopefull of getting some space in the alliance. Commenting on the development, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said, "Perhaps this isn't the last word, maybe there will be some rethink as the elections approach. A truly broad-based alliance will be formed in UP. If necessary, Congress party will contest elections on its own strength."
Congress leader, P. Chidambaram on SP-BSP alliance: Perhaps this isn't the last word, maybe there will be some rethink as the elections approach. A truly broad-based alliance will be formed in UP. If necessary, Congress party will contest elections on its own strength. pic.twitter.com/WWyofYy4r0
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 12, 2019
The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), who has so far not been named as an alliance partner, kept its hopes alive, saying the talks for finding a place in the alliance were continuing.Â
"The alliance of the two parties has been announced today...as far as we are concerned, our talks for the same are continuing," RLD national spokesperson Anil Dubey said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's estranged uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) founder Shivpal Yadav said that the alliance is incomplete without his party. Â
"This alliance in incomplete without Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party, only a secular front can defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," he said.
Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Yadav on SP-BSP alliance: This alliance is incomplete without Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party, only a secular front can defeat BJP. pic.twitter.com/iuVwgsIJnr
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 12, 2019
Meanwhile, the BJP termed the BSP-SP alliance a desperate effort for survival against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party alliance is for their survival. It is not in the interest of the country or Uttar Pradesh," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has welcomed the alliance between SP-BSP. “I welcome the alliance of the SP and the BSP for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections,†she tweeted soon after Mayawati and Akhilesh began their joint press conference in Lucknow to make the big announcement.Â
I welcome the alliance of the SP and the BSP for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 12, 2019
This would be the first time in 26 years that SP and BSP will fight the elections jointly. Last time, it happened in 1993, when Samajwadi Party veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram came together.
