Lucknow, January 12: BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday announced their alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, sharing 38 seats each out of the state’s 80 parliamentary constituencies.
The parties kept the Congress out of the alliance, but said they will not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
The alliance left two more seats for smaller allies.
Speaking at the conference, Mayawati said: “This joint press conference will rob ‘guru-chela’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, of their sleep.”
Mayawati said the Congress has not been included in the SP-BSP alliance in UP as during its rule “poverty, unemployment and corruption grew”.
A tactical alliance between SP and BSP – once sworn enemies – helped them defeat the BJP in Lok Sabha by-elections in Gorakhpur and Phulpur last year.
The two parties also backed the candidate of RLD-led by Ajit Singh to win the Kairana Lok Sabha constituency.
The BJP swept 71 seats while its ally Apna Dal got two seats in a four-way contest.
If the BSP, SP and RLD join hands, it may emerge as a formidable alliance against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Agencies
