No tieup with any party, for now, says Akhilesh Yadav

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the Samajwadi Party is not thinking of forging alliance with any party “as of now” for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in the state.

Speaking at a function, Akhilesh said, “The SP has done lot of work (in UP). And we have our organisational set up. People had given majority to government. So, what I feel, as far as it’s about engaging in alternate politics, that Netaji (Mulayam) will decide. He is the party’s national president. But as of now, the SP is not thinking of going with any other party or forming alliance for the upcoming (Assembly) elections.”

Akhilesh had on December 4 suggested that an alliance with the Congress is possible in an arrangement where Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi his deputy.

Among other issues, Akhilesh refuted charges that his dispensation is “ignoring” developmental work in constituencies represented by senior leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Varanasi), Congress president Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli) and her son Rahul (Amethi). Referring to Varanasi, Akhilesh claimed his government has been supplying electricity 24X7 in the constituency and funded road works inter-alia other developmental works.

“We are not ignorant. I can assure you,” Mr Yadav said.

About Congress constituencies, he said his Government was “not biased” while noting that state land had been offered to UPA for their projects including setting up of AIIMS and military schools there.