Uttar Pradesh powerhouses Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, bitter rival turned partners-in-polls, today announced their mega alliance, delivering the first opposition front to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national election due by May.
"This press conference will give Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah sleepless nights," Mayawati began, after the two leaders smiled together for the cameras.
Nearly 25 years ago, Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), had an acrimonious falling out after their shaky coalition government in Uttar Pradesh crashed.
Last year, the two parties decided to team up for important by-polls that were prestige battles for the ruling BJP and found that together, they can be unbeaten.
After a successful dry run in three seats, including Yogi Adityanath's Gorakhpur, the two parties explored taking their alliance to the next level - the 2019 national polls. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will fight on 38 seats and Samajwadi Party (SP) on 38, while two seats have been reserved. Rest two, Amethi and Rae Bareli are for Congress.
