SP not mulling alliance with any party ‘as of now’: Akhilesh

The Samajwadi Party (SP) is not thinking of forging alliance with any party “as of now” for the 2017 UP Assembly polls, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday, days after he suggested possibility of his party’s tie-up with the Congress.

Akhilesh also made light of the offer he had made during an event here last week to Rahul Gandhi, saying he just “took a chance to ask the Congress vice-president as the latter was seated before him” and exuded confidence that the SP would be able to form the government after winning the 2017 polls.

Akhilesh had on December 4 suggested that an alliance with the Congress is possible in an arrangement where SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi his Deputy. However, Gandhi had refused to comment when asked to respond.

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