Akhlesh Yadav hints Mahagatbandhan for UP assembly polls

In Uttar Pradesh, triggering a frenzied speculation about the political realignment in ​the state before 2017 assembly polls, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said that a Bihar-like​'M​ahagathbandhan' can't be ruled out in the state​. UP Chief Minister was speaking to media person in eastern UP yesterday. He said, possibilities of such an alliance can't be ruled out. There are chances that Samajwadi Party could be a part of a big alliance in the forthcoming legislative assembly election," he said.​ Although he didn't say which are the parties SP would tie up with, or whether he was referring to an SP-BSP alliance, a day earlier, senior UP minister Farid Mahfooz Kidwai, considered close to the CM, had said that he was praying for an SP-BSP alliance to check saffron forces in the state.​ 

It is pertinent to mention that as soon as Bihar results were announced, voices in favour of replicating the '​M


style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Cambria Math', serif;">​ahagathbandhan' experiment has started resonating in UP as well. RJD UP chief, Ashok Singh, had said that the Mulayam Singh Yadav was a towering leader and a new alliance under his leadership could be formed in UP too to defeat the BJP.​ From the SP, senior minister, Shivpal Yadav had also echoed a similar voice and had strongly advocated in favour of a new, but similar alliance in UP to defeat the saffron party. Although there was no reaction from the BSP on Akhilesh's comment on the grand alliance, the Congress​ may  not have any reservations against joining one.