Announcing unconditional support to the INDIA bloc candidates in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said that these elections are being held to "save democracy" and end an "autocratic government".
"AAP will fully support the INDIA bloc candidates in Uttar Pradesh. What our role will be and how we will be involved in the campaign will be decided after holding talks with the Congress leadership involved in the campaigning. We will fully support the Samajwadi Party candidates," said AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
Addressing a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav at the Uttar Pradesh-based party's headquarters here, the AAP leader asserted there is "no condition or demand".
"These are not normal elections, they are for saving democracy, ending the autocracy and saving the Constitution. We are together in UP, wherever the Samajwadi Party candidate is in the fray, INDIA alliance candidate is in fray we will work for them," he added.
Exuding confidence that the INDIA bloc will win the elections, Mr Singh said that every worker and elected representative of his party will work for the SP candidates.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the arrest of elected chief ministers, Mr Singh said, "If any politician is winning, he would not indulge in such tactics and tricks as being done by the PM of putting opponents in jail by framing fake cases, it means lack of confidence at election time."
Mr Singh, who hails from Sultanpur, was on a visit to the state. His party is not contesting the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh Yadav thanked the AAP for the support and said the present election is not taking place in common circumstances but to "safeguard the Constitution".
Mr Yadav slammed the Central government for sending AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and JMM leader Hemant Soren to jail before the polls and said the BJP was doing this out of fear of losing the elections.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
