For alliance, make Mulayam PM, Rahul deputy: Akhilesh

An alliance with the Congress is possible in the next lok Sabha polls if Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh is declared the prime ministerial candidate and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi his deputy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Friday.

At the Hindustan Times leadership Summit here, Akhilesh Yadav was asked about the possibility of an alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

Yadav said: "Rahul Gandhi is an old friend... If they say Netaji (Mulayam Singh) will be the prime minister and Rahul Gandhi the deputy prime minister, I will say 'yes' to an alliance right now."

He ruled out the possibility of shaking hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

On the question of a Bihar-like Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections are due next year, he said: "Our party has done good work. We will go to election with that. There is no need for alliance... It is premature to comment on it."

Commenting on the murder of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh after being falsely accused of eating beef by the killer mob, the chief minister said everyone must have the right to eat anything. 

Asked if he approved of beef eating, he said: "There should be freedom to eat what one eats." 

Responding to a question on communal politics in Uttar Pradesh, he said: "One thing should be clear: Samajwadi (socialists) will not benefit from communal politics."