'I.N.D.I.A. bloc is intact': Akhilesh refutes speculations of cracks in opposition alliance

'SP is committed to strengthen the alliance and fight against BJP,' Yadav added.

Lucknow: Amid the rumblings in the grand opposition alliance, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday asserted that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was ‘intact’.

The statement comes at a time when the Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to go solo in the forthcoming local body elections in Maharashtra and National Conference (NC) leader and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s has remarked that the alliance be "disbanded."

‘’I.N.D.I.A. alliance waise hi intact hai,’’ (I.N.D.I.A alliance is intact as before), Akhilesh said in reply to a query while speaking to reporters here.

Dismissing reports of differences within the alliance, the SP president said the coalition was formed to bring the regional parties together to counter the BJP. ‘’SP is committed to strengthen the alliance and fight against BJP,’’ he added.

He, however, said that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc should support the regional parties as they are capable of countering the BJP. ‘’The regional parties can counter the BJP and they should be supported,’’ he added.

Besides, the SP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have also decided to support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly polls. The AAP and Congress leaders are meanwhile engaged in sharp exchange of words in the run up to the elections. Some AAP leaders even called for throwing Congress out of the grand opposition alliance.