Target 2019: Akhilesh Yadav willing to compromise on seat sharing with BSP to ensure BJP's defeat

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said he is confident about the continuity of his party's alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. The SP president said that he is even ready to compromise with a few numbers of seats belonging to his party in order to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 general elections.

"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," said Akhilesh Yadav.

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 Yadav,SP pic.twitter.com/5vq4AA9frs — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 11, 2018

The SP-BSP coalition is said to pose a big challenge for the ruling government at the Centre in the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Last month, BJP chief Amit Shah also acknowledged that the coming together of two arch-rivals BSP and SP will be a challenge for his party in the 2019 elections. He, however, asserted that the BJP will defeat the Congress either in Amethi or Rae Bareli.

Shah made these remarks while referring to questions pertaining to the fourth anniversary of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Ahead of the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP and the SP had formed an unprecedented alliance to bring down the saffron power in the two Lok Sabha constituencies. 

The BSP and SP entered into an arrangement wherein the former supported the latter's candidate for the bypolls. The BSP did not field any candidate for the seats and vowed to work to defeat the BJP.

As per the arrangement, in return for the support in Lok Sabha, the SP will be backing the BSP candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypolls. ''We have spoken to SP and have decided that we will support their Lok Sabha candidate during the voting and SP will support our Rajya Sabha candidate in return," BSP supremo Mayawati had said ahead of the bypolls.

The BSP, SP and Congress can send two candidates to the Rajya Sabha from UP as per their current strength in the Lok Sabha. BSP has 19 seats, SP 47 and Congress six. After the SP ensures that one of its candidates makes it to the Upper House, the party will be left with a surplus of 13-14 votes, which adding to BSP’s could make sure of Mayawati’s Parliamentary re-entry.