'Science' behind UP 'mahagathbandhan' collapse

BSP supremo Mayawati may have cited her alliance partner Samajwadi Party (SP) party president Akhilesh Yadav's failure get support of his core vote bank as the reason for the collapse of the 'mahagathbandhan' in Uttar Pradesh but the latter took recourse to ''science'' for the same.

''I have studied engineering at Mysore University....being a student of science I know that every trial cannot succeed,'' Akhilesh said while speaking to reporters here on Wednesday.

''The mahagathbandhan may not have succeeded but it has enabled us to know about our weakness,'' the SP president said.

He said that he would consult his party leaders about the future course of action and formulate his party's strategy for the forthcoming assembly by-polls as well as the next assembly elections in the state in 2022.

''Now the road is open to all,'' he remarked in response to a query on whether his party would go it alone in the by-polls on the 12 seats in the state. He, however, did not elaborate.

Akhilesh, however, said that he had great respect for Mayawati. ''My respect for Mayawati will continue irrespective of the alliance,'' he added.

Mayawati had on Tuesday said that the 'mahagathbandhan' did not succeed as Akhilesh failed to get the support of the 'yadavs', his core vote bank. She had however said that the alliance had not fallen apart permanently and the two parties could once again come together if Akhilesh was able to bring back his core vote bank