Lucknow, Mar 13: With both the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party today ruling out any truck with the Congress in the coming Lok Sabha elections, a multi-cornered contest is likely in all the 80 parliamentary constituencies in the state. The Congress received two major setbacks today with both the SP and BSP closing all doors for any possible pre-poll alliance with the party.
BSP president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at her much-hyped `Pardafash Maharally` here, said any understanding with the Congress was out of question now since it was still supporting the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led state government.
Addressing party workers, Mayawati charged the Congress with ``sailing in two boats.`` Similarly, Yadav, while addressing a public meeting at Mahoba, blamed the Congress for failing to firm up any pre-poll alliance, saying the party (Congress) tilted more towards the BSP.
The relationship between the SP and Congress reached the flash point after senior Congress leader Arjun Singh yesterday threatened withdrawal of support to the state government here.
Yadav said his government would survive even if the Congress pulled out its support to the state coalition.
However, the ruling SP has a pre-poll pact with Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) with 70 seats to be contested by the SP and rest 10 seats of western Uttar Pradesh by the RLD.
Bureau Report