Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today appeared not averse to an alliance with Congress for UP Assembly polls, saying such a combine can win over 300 seats in the 403-member House, but firmly ruled out any tie-up with BSP.
Only last month, Samajwadi Party supremo and Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav had ruled out any pre-poll alliance and asserted that there can only be mergers.
Replying to a volley of questions on a possible tie-up with Congress against the backdrop of its poll strategist Prashant Kishor meeting Mulayam and and himself later, the Chief Minister said that a final decision on the alliance will be taken by the SP supremo and he can only give suggestions.
Akhilesh also suggested that Congress will have to accept that it may have to fight on a fewer number of seats than it wants in an alliance because a tie-up will not work out if it keeps thinking about “profit and loss”.
He also hit back at BSP chief Mayawati, who had recently mocked him for calling her ‘bua’, saying her problem is that BSP is not in contention to capture power and added that he will no longer call her ‘bua’ (father’s sister).
Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit here, Akhilesh (43) attacked the Modi government over demonetization and took potshots at his rivals, including Amar Singh, within SP.
“It is a big dream,” he quipped when asked if Amar Singh was also a contender for the Chief Minister’s post.
