UP assembly polls 2017: SP not mulling alliance with any party 'as of now'

New Delhi, Dec 10: The Samajwadi Party is not thinking of forging alliance with any party "as of now" for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday, days after he suggested possibility of his party's tie-up with Congress.

Speaking at the Jagran Forum of Dainik Jagran here, Akhilesh also made light of the offer he had made during a similar 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 SP will be able to form Government after winning the 2017 polls.

Akhilesh had on December 4 suggested that an alliance with Congress is possible in an arrangement where Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi his Deputy.

He had made the comments during the course of a conversation at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here in the presence of the Congress vice president.

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 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, the SP is not thinking of going with any other party or forming alliance for upcoming (assembly) elections," Yadav said responding to a question in this regard.

On being asked about his offer to Gandhi if his father gets role of Central leadership, Akhilesh said, "Since the leader of that party (Gandhi) was seated before me, I thought let me ask him, may be he will say yes (to the offer). I had a chance (to ask Gandhi), so I asked him."

Among other issues, Akhilesh refuted charges that his dispensation is "ignoring" developmental work in constituencies represented by senior leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Varanasi), Congress president Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli) and her son Rahul (Amethi).

Referring to Varanasi, Akhilesh claimed his government has been supplying electricity 24X7 in the constituency and funded road works inter-alia other developmental works.

"We are not ignorant. I can assure you, whatever scheme the Centre brings, our government will cooperate with it," he said.

At the same time, he expected Centre to cooperate with the state government and release funds for developmental work and give relief to farmers.

About Congress constituencies, he said his Government was "not biased" while noting that state land had been offered to UPA for their projects including setting up of AIIMS and military schools there.

The session was also attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and actress-politician Jaya Bachchan.

PTI