Tie-up with BSP in 2019 even if it costs few LS seats: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said that his party will continue its alliance with BSP, even if it has to give up a few seats, to ensure that the BJP is defeated in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Our alliance with BSP will continue. In 2019, even if we have to give up a few seats we will do it. We have to ensure BJP is defeated," Akhilesh said while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri on Sunday.

Hitting out at UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the SP chief said the BJP lost every seat where Yogi campaigned during the recent by-elections.

"BJP lost the last four bypolls in UP to a united opposition. They lost the crucial Kairana LS and Noorpur assembly bypolls recently."

However, BJP is skeptical about the SP-BSP alliance. The party believes that Mayawati and Akhilesh will "finish off after fighting among themselves."

"Bua and Babua (Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav) will finish off after fighting among themselves. This isn't an alliance based on issues. An issue-less alliance never works. They will finish off before the (2019) election comes,” Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya said.