Mulayam Singh Yadav Rules Out Alliances For UP Polls, Snubs Congress Strategist Prashant Kishor

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party is open to mergers, but will have no pre-election alliances in Uttar Pradesh, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said today, scotching rumours about a Bihar-like "Grand Alliance" to take on the BJP.

Mr Yadav's categorical no to alliances comes only days after he had met the Congress' chief strategist in UP Prashant Kishor over several hours, triggering speculation that they discussed a partnership. Mr Kishor had also met Mulayam Singh's son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav two days ago.

"There will be no alliance. If anyone wants to merge with us they can, but there will be no alliance," Mulayam Singh said.

On record, the Congress has said there is no scope for an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the UP elections, to be held early next year. "It is a free country, he can meet anybody," Congress state chief Raj Babbar had said about Mr Kishor's meeting with the Yadavs, making it clear that the strategist had not been asked by the party to hold talks with the Samajwadi Party.

Sources close to Mr Kishor, who has earlier designed winning election campaigns for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, have said the discussion with Mulayam Singh merely touched upon the possible merits of a "Grand Alliance."

Mulayam Singh Yadav had walked out of such an alliance in Bihar last year. The rest of the constituents, including the Congress and Lalu Yadav's RJD, were led by Nitish Kumar to a big win over the BJP. Mulayam Singh fought solo and won no seat.

While Mulayam Singh is believed to have approached Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and UP Jat leader Ajit Singh, through his younger brother Shivpal Yadav, to discuss a possible tie-up in UP, parties like the Congress and JD-U are said to be reluctant given the disarray in the Samajwadi Party.

Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal, who is the party's UP chief, have fought a feud in public, with Mulayam Singh consistently supporting his brother.