Mayawati's top aide denied reports today that her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party of Akhilesh Yadav have all but sealed an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 national election, leaving the Congress out. The reports quoted sources as saying the two parties - rivals who realised the power of their combo during by-polls earlier this year - had been in seat-sharing talks for almost a year and had finalised a formula that would be announced on Mayawati's birthday on January 15.
