Akhilesh Yadav tweeted a photo of his meeting with AAP leader Sanjay Singh
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh sparking buzz about a possible tie-up in of the two parties in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year.
Mr Singh, in a tweet, however clarified that they discussed about BJP's repressive policies and the recently concluded Zilla Panchayat elections where the party won big.
"Thank you very much for giving meeting despite the election. There was an intense discussion on the repressive policies of the BJP and the issue of converting loktantra (democracy) into loottantra (looting) in the Zilla Panchayat elections," Mr Singh tweeted in Hindi.
The ruling BJP clinched a massive victory in local body elections in the state on Saturday, in a big setback for former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's party. BJP won 67 seats in the zila panchayat chairperson election where 75 seats were at stake. Mr Yadav's party won only five seats. The Rashtriya Lok Dal, Jansatta Dal and an independent candidate won a seat each.
After the results, Mr Yadav, 47, charged the BJP with making a mockery of the polls, alleging that it "kidnapped" voters and used "force" to prevent them from voting.
The Samajwadi chief also said that despite submitting a memorandum to the state Election Commissioner, no action was taken and alleged that the "dictatorship" of the ruling party was clearly visible.
Singed by his failed collaborations with Mayawati and the Congress, Mr Yadav last month ruled out any tie-up for the assembly polls and said his party would join forces with like-minded smaller parties.
This announcement, along with the surprise meeting with the senior AAP leader, has triggered speculations of a tie up. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party has also been increasing its reach in other states.
In January, Mr Singh held meetings with Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, setting off buzz about an alliance. However, the Rajya Sabha MP dismissed the talks saying it was too early to talk about a tie-up.