Akhilesh Yadav: Ready to take step back for sake of grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh

Urging all opposition parties to unite to oust the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday hinted he is willing to go out of his way for the sake of a grand alliance that is shaping up in Uttar Pradesh for upcoming general elections.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: Urging all opposition parties to unite to oust the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday hinted he is willing to go out of his way for the sake of a grand alliance that is shaping up in Uttar Pradesh for upcoming general elections. We are ready to take two steps back for the sake of a crucial alliance to be put in place, Yadav said. The Congress has the biggest responsibility and it should show a big heart by taking everyone along. It should hold discussions with all opposition parties, he said. The opposition will choose its leader after the Lok Sabha polls and it should set aside differences to achieve the larger goal of ousting the BJP, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. "We will choose our leader (of the grand alliance) after the elections. We have to stop the BJP. If we can stop the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, we can stop them in all of India," Yadav said at the NDTV Yuva conclave. Taking a dig at BJP chief Amit Shah over his claim that his party will rule for the next 50 years, he said, "Forget 50 years, people will give their verdict in 50 weeks." "The Congress has the biggest responsibility today, they need to open their hearts and should take everyone along. I am in constant touch with (BSP chief) Mayawati ji," he said. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Samajwadi Party lost in Uttar Pradesh because the RSS misled people, but people have now seen through them. He said the faith of opposition parties has been shaken. "Not just our parties, but to save the country we have to stay away from the RSS. RSS creates a divide between us based on religion, caste. That is why I am against them," he said. The BJP's plan was to keep the youth fighting among themselves over religion and caste so that they do not ask for jobs and income, Akhilesh Yadav said. Asked about the alliance with the Congress ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls, he said, "My alliance with Rahul Gandhi in UP was the right thing to do at the time, people did not understand our message, we were not able to communicate our message properly." Mayawati keeps SP, Congress guessing Meanwhile, Keeping the Congress and the SP guessing on the formation the grand alliance, BSP supremo Mayawati today in a press conference said her party will join the front only if it gets a "respectable share" of seats. "Otherwise, we will go alone," she said. "Our party is not against the alliance, but our stand is very clear that we will ally with a political party only if we get a respectable share of seats. Otherwise, our party feels it better to contest the elections alone," she said. On the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the upcoming Assembly elections in certain states, Mayawati said, the effort of the opposition parties will be to stop the BJP from coming to power at any cost. Mayawati targeted the BJP claiming that its governments in the Centre and states had "worsened" the condition of the people by showing them false dreams. (With PTI inputs)