<p>Putting to rest speculations about a ‘mahagathbandhan’ in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday categorically ruled out any kind of alliance in the state.<br /><br />Speaking to reporters here, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said he would go it alone in the elections and would not have an alliance with any political party.<br />He, however, said that the SP would have no objection if any “like-minded party” wanted to merge with it, apparently referring to alliance offers from RLD and JD(U). <br />Earlier, don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s Quami Ekta Dal had merged with SP.<br />“We will not have any alliance in UP. However, there may be mergers,” Mulayam said after his meetings with Congress’ poll strategist Prashant Kishor and RLD chief Ajit Singh.<br /><br />The alliance talks gained momentum following the participation of leaders from JD(U), RLD, RJD and JD(S) in the SP’s recent silver jubilee celebrations here. SP sources said while Mulayam’s decision was a setback to senior party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, who had been advocating a Bihar-like grand alliance against the BJP in the state, it was an endorsement of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s stand on the issue.<br />Shivpal had taken the lead in stitching together an alliance in the state, comprising SP, Congress, JD(U) and RLD, to “defeat communal forces”.<br /><br />Akhilesh was reportedly opposed to such an alliance and had been pressuring Mulayam to abandon all talks in this regard as it was causing “confusion” among SP workers.</p>.<p><br />“It (alliance) will not be an easy task,” Akhilesh had said. He had also said that such an alliance, if forged, would win at least 300 seats in the 2017 polls. <br />Akhilesh’s supporters said that Shivpal had been pushing for an alliance to “weaken” the chief minister. “But Akhilesh has prevailed once again,” a senior SP leader told DH.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Putting to rest speculations about a ‘mahagathbandhan’ in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday categorically ruled out any kind of alliance in the state.<br /><br />Speaking to reporters here, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said he would go it alone in the elections and would not have an alliance with any political party.<br />He, however, said that the SP would have no objection if any “like-minded party” wanted to merge with it, apparently referring to alliance offers from RLD and JD(U). <br />Earlier, don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s Quami Ekta Dal had merged with SP.<br />“We will not have any alliance in UP. However, there may be mergers,” Mulayam said after his meetings with Congress’ poll strategist Prashant Kishor and RLD chief Ajit Singh.<br /><br />The alliance talks gained momentum following the participation of leaders from JD(U), RLD, RJD and JD(S) in the SP’s recent silver jubilee celebrations here. SP sources said while Mulayam’s decision was a setback to senior party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, who had been advocating a Bihar-like grand alliance against the BJP in the state, it was an endorsement of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s stand on the issue.<br />Shivpal had taken the lead in stitching together an alliance in the state, comprising SP, Congress, JD(U) and RLD, to “defeat communal forces”.<br /><br />Akhilesh was reportedly opposed to such an alliance and had been pressuring Mulayam to abandon all talks in this regard as it was causing “confusion” among SP workers.</p>.<p><br />“It (alliance) will not be an easy task,” Akhilesh had said. He had also said that such an alliance, if forged, would win at least 300 seats in the 2017 polls. <br />Akhilesh’s supporters said that Shivpal had been pushing for an alliance to “weaken” the chief minister. “But Akhilesh has prevailed once again,” a senior SP leader told DH.<br /><br /></p>