United opposition: Here is what BSP has to say

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Sunday said that it was not in talks with the Congress for an alliance for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls slated for later this year. A senior state leader of the Mayawati-led party added that it would, as things stand today, contest all 230 Assembly seats in the state.

Talking to news agency PTI, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state president Narmada Prasad Ahirwar said, "I was asked by the media that Congress leaders were saying that there are discussions underway with the BSP for an alliance for the next assembly elections. I clarified that we are not in discussions at the state level and, I think, neither at the central leadership level."

"As things stand today, we are going to contest all 230 Assembly seats. I have received no directives in this connection (alliance) from the central leadership," Mr Ahirwar said.
The state Congress, meanwhile, has claimed that it never said alliance talks were underway with the BSP.

"We never named any party. The Congress only said that we would try to have an alliance with political parties with a similar ideology. We never mentioned the BSP's name. It will depend on the situation when we enter the election phase," Madhya Pradesh Congress' media department's chief Manak Agarwal said.