New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav denied the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the Congress and expressed confidence that his party will get full majority in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
In an interview with CNN-IBN’s editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Akhilesh said the Congress was fighting the polls not to defeat the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but to deter the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Akhilesh, the son of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, also said that if his party comes to power, it will not demolish statues built by Mayawati and the land will be used for building services for the poor.
“An alliance with the Congress is not possible because the party does not want the Samajwadi Party to grow. The Congress has worked to the detriment of the Samajwadi Party. Even the ticket distribution has been done to deter the Samajwadi Party, not to defeat the BSP,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of president’s rule in the state, Akhilesh said he was confident that his party will get full majority.
On the SP supporting the the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the wake of the Left parties withdrawing support over the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said Mulayam Singh had already termed it as a mistake.
“The alliance didn’t prove to be good for us. We don’t expect any alliance with the Congress to be good for the SP in the future as well,” Akhilesh said, adding that the party will not do anything to save the present Congress-led government from falling.
On differences with Rahul Gandhi, he said it was “not good” for the Congress leader to tear the SP’s manifesto at a public rally.
“He does what his advisors tell him. Rahul Gandhi does not see the weaknesses of his party. His hands are tied within his party. Despite being in power, he is not able to do much.”
To a question about EVM tampering, Akhilesh said some dummy machines had been confiscated.
“In Lucknow, the EVMs were kept at a place where water seeped into them. This surely looks like some conspiracy…,” he said, adding he trusted the poll panel and had “just given an opinion”.
Akhilesh also stressed that his party had rebuilt its reputation over the last five years as it was being referred to as “goonda (goon) party”.
“We have distanced ourselves from unwanted elements in the party,” he asserted.
