SP, AAP Alliance For UP Polls? Meaningful Discussion Held, Says Sanjay Singh After Meeting Akhilesh

Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday held talks with AAP leader Sanjay Singh and Apna Dal (K) chief Krishna Patel in the run-up to the 2022 assembly polls.

Lucknow: In a bid to forge alliance with regional parties to build a strong force against ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday met Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh in Lucknow. 

Apart from Singh, Akhilesh also met Apna Dal (K) chief Krishna Patel in a separate meeting in the run-up to the 2022 assembly polls.

After the meetings, Singh indicated that the talks between AAP and SP for possible alliance in UP polls have begun, while Patel said a tie-up with the SP has been finalised.

Speaking to reports, Singh said that a strategic discussion (rannitik charcha) was held on the common agenda to make UP corruption-free and get rid of the government under which law and order collapsed. 

Singh is the Aam Aadmi Party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. Speaking on the possibility of an alliance with the SP, Singh said the discussion has just begun. "A good meaningful discussion was held. We will let you know later," he added.

Akhilesh also met Apna Dal (K) chief Krishna Patel and both apparently agreed to address joint public meetings.

"We had a discussion with Akhilesh ji and our alliance has been finalised. We are allying with parties of the same ideology and we will soon be sharing the dais," Patel told reporters. 

On the question of seat-sharing formulae between the two parties, Patel said that this was not a priority while hinting that her party might pitch for 20 to 25 seats in the elections in 403 constituencies.

"There were no discussions on the number of seats during the meeting. Discussions are going on at many seats. We will have 20-25 seats," she added.

The two crucial meetings come a day after the former UP CM met RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary to discuss seat-sharing for the upcoming polls. "Badhte Kadam," Chaudhary had said on his official Twitter handle and also posted a photograph with Yadav.

Other regional parties including Om Prakash Rajbhar's Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), Sanjay Chauhan's Janwadi Party (Socialist) and Keshav Dev Maurya's Mahan Dal are already with the SP, supporting Yadav to once again become the Chief Minsiter of the populous state.

(With inputs from PTI.)