Putting a full stop to the speculationn on forging a pre-poll alliance, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav said that his party will go alone in forthcoming elections and suggested that whosoever wanted to join hands should merge with the SP.
“The party will go with the Samajwadi Party National Executive which had decided that the party should go alone in the next polls. Hence, the party will not go for any alliance,” he told reporters in lucknow on Thursday.
“There would not be any alliance. You have recently seen that some parties have merged with the Samajwadi Party. We will invite parties to merge with SP,” was Mulayam’s quick response.
Mulayam Singh, however refused to elaborate and did not take questions on his talks with RlD leader Ajit Singh in New Delhi and Congress poll strategist Prashant Kumar whom he met in the last few days.
Mulayam is considered the final word in Samajwadi Party. State SP president Shivpal Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav have reiterated several times in recent past that ‘netaji’ would take the final call on alliance forging.
There was possibility of an alliance after leaders of many ‘like-minded’ parties including Janata dal (U), RJD and RlD had a series of meetings with Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav. Early this week, when PK had a long meeting with Chief Minister, speculations gained ground that the Congress might go in for an alliance with the SP.
Even Akhilesh Yadav indicaed positively saying that if the Congress and the Samajwadi Party wanted to stitch an alliance, no one could stop them.
“We have to assess who will be benefited from alliance. It is up to party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to decide on the grand alliance issue. Whatever I have to say I will discuss in the party forum,” Akhiesh had said.
Incidentally, Akhilesh has always been against any electoral pact. Three months back when Shivpal Yadav inked a pact with Quami Ekta Dal, the CM had revolted and said: “If we can strengthen our booths, we can win elections hands down. There is no need to have any alliance.”
Sources in the party said that Akhilesh was able to convince Mulayam Singh that the party would gain if it contests alone. Secondly, there were unreasonable demands from other parties. The RlD was pressing for 70 seats while the Congress wanted to contest over 120 seats. Had the SP agreed to such seat division, it would have been left with just 200 plus seats to contest.
“In 2012, we had won 229 seats and came second in 83 seats. So, obviously we want to contest 350 plus seats. It is a good decision that netaji has said no to an alliance,” a senior SP leader said.