Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav said any decision on alliances will be taken by Samajwadi Party (SP) National Parliamentary Board and Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Any decision on forming an alliance in Uttar Pradesh, including that with arch-rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), will be taken by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said today, a day after he expressed possibility of having a Bihar-like front in the state.
Responding to a volley of questions on his remarks made in Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh (UP) yesterday that "a grand alliance is possible in the state", Akhilesh Yadav said, "Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) will decide on alliance. How can I decide?"
When asked specifically whether his idea of a 'grand alliance' includes Mayawati-led BSP, he said any decision on alliances will be taken by Samajwadi Party (SP) National Parliamentary Board and Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Responding to a poser on the possibility of BSP and SP joining hands in UP like arch-rivals RJD and JD(U) did in Bihar, Akhilesh said the relationship between SP and BSP is different from the one between Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United).
He also said that while for others, BSP chief Mayawati is 'behenji', as she is popularly called, for him she is 'bua' or father's sister.
"We will also have to keep an eye on whether BSP and BJP are seeking a political alliance...we will have to keep an eye everywhere," Akhilesh Yadav said.
The Chief Minister skirted questions on whether he and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav are travelling to Patna for the oath taking ceremony of Nitish Kumar. He also did not respond to a poser on whether RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar are attending Mulayam's birthday bash in Saifai on November 22.
Citing newspaper reports, Akhilesh Yadav said he was himself "confused" over what exactly he had said about the possibility of a grand alliance in UP yesterday.
"Every paper has a different story on what I had said. You tell me what to state and I will state that. Even if I remain silent, you will certainly write something. I did not say anything on alliance or grand alliance, but you published reports. You don't know which point of a conversation is published and in which way," he said.