Shah rules out post- poll truck with anyone in UP

BJP President Amit Shah on Wednesday ruled out any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any other party in the event of a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh, and expressed confidence that the party would get a "full majority".

As UP gears up for the fourth phase of the seven-phase Assembly elections on Thursday, Shah also said that the BJP not naming a CM candidate was part of the party's poll "strategy".

"Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party)," he said when asked in an interview if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority.

The comments by Shah come against the backdrop of some poll surveys and political experts projecting a hung assembly in UP given that all the three players the SP-Congress, BSP and BJP have a robust set-up and a loyal social base in the state.

Shah, who has campaigned extensively in UP, acknowledges the importance of the poll outcome in the state to 2019 Lok Sabha polls but at the same time, he feels that the results would be even more crucial for the country's development.

Working hard to recreate the magic of 2014 that gave BJP 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the face of stiff competition from the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati's BSP, the BJP strongman expressed confidence that his party will form the next government in UP, Uttarakhand and Goa with "full majority" but refused to make a prediction about Punjab, noting that it was a triangular contest there involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and AAP.

"In Goa, Uttarakhand and UP, we will form governments with full majority. It is 'trikoniay muqablaa hai (triangular contest) in Punjab, so it is difficult to make a guess who will win," he added.

Shah replied in the negative when asked whether the BJP saw a disadvantage in not naming a chief ministerial face in UP when the last-minute SP-Congress alliance had named the incumbent Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav while Mayawati was the BSP's clear choice.

He refused to be drawn into specifics of whether a central leader like Home Minister Rajnath Singh or any of the state leaders would be chosen to be the CM if the party wins.

Shah brushed aside the Congress charge that the prime Minister had sought to inject communal colour into the campaign a few days ago by talking about allocation of state land for 'shamshaan' (cremation ground) and 'kabristaan' (graveyard).

The BJP chief also accused the party's political opponents of indulging in "politics of appeasement" and said BJP was called communal for raising such issues.