No pre-poll alliance for SP, BSP

Jun 23, 2013 - Amita Verma |

Age Correspondent

The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party are unwilling to enter into any pre-poll alliance with any party in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections.

“We are confident of getting the maximum number of seats from Uttar Pradesh and will play a crucial role in the formation of the third front. Any alliance will be decided after the election results are in and our priority is to maintain an equal distance from the UPA as well as NDA,” said a senior SP leader on Saturday.
The SP is apparently confident of its prospects in the Lok Sabha elections and does not wish to “waste” seats by giving them to like-minded parties like the Left. “These parties are not in the winnable category and we have decided not to play Good Samaritan this time. Each seat counts for us and we cannot just give them away,” the party leader said.
If sources are to be believed, the SP is also doing some rethinking over Rae Bareli and Amethi — the two seats it had earlier said it would not contest. “If the Congress should also agree to leave seats for us and then we can reciprocate the gesture. The final decision on this will be taken by party president Mulayam Singh Yadav,” the leader clarified. The SP has already announced candidates on almost 74 Lok Sabha seats, leaving no room for any alliance. The Peace Party is reportedly keen on negotiating with SP but the latter has not responded to their overtures.
Similarly, the BSP has also ruled out any pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha elections. Senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya said on Saturday that the BSP would not go in for any pre-poll alliance and would contest all 80 seats on its own. “As a rule we never opt for pre-poll alliances. The BSP will do exceedingly well and will get the advantage of the anti-incumbency factor against the SP government because people are now appreciating the Mayawati regime,” he said. The only time the BSP opted for a pre-poll alliance in UP was in 1996 when it tied up with the Congress and emerged as a major beneficiary. Shortly after the polls, the BSP snapped ties with the Congress and formed the government with the BJP.

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