Apparently rattled by the exit poll predictions that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance was going to retain power at the Centre, the mahagathbandhan leaders in Uttar Pradesh met here on Monday to discuss the possible political ‘fallout’ after the counting of votes on May 23.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav rushed to the residence of Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Monday for a meeting which lasted for about 75 minutes. There was no official word on the agenda of discussions held between both the leaders.
Details of what transpired between the two top leaders was not known immediately.
Akhilesh Yadav ducked a volley of questions from the media persons waiting outside the residence of Mayawati. He, however, said, “I will talk to you in detail on May 23’’. Counting of the votes of the Lok Sabha elections will be taken up on that day.
A Samajwadi Party leader said “it was a formal meeting between the two leaders and when two senior leaders meet they do discuss all relevant issues’’.
According to sources, Akhilesh Yadav had a long discussion with Mayawati at her Mall Avenue residence where they deliberated over the exit poll projections and the possibility of a third front government at the Centre.
They also exchanged messages of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who recently met them in Lucknow separately over the formation of a third front government.
Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav were scheduled to leave for Delhi on Monday but the visit was postponed.
Naidu has convened a meeting of the leaders of opposition parties in Delhi on Tuesday. The TDP leader is making hectic efforts to cobble a coalition of opposition parties to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party from coming to power at the Centre. The TDP leader was in Lucknow on May 18 and had met Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati.
The exit polls have projected a grim picture for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance by suggesting 60 plus seats for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
There are 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP and the BJP along with its ally Apna Dal had won 73 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.