LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said he had no ambitions to run the race for the Prime Minister’s post after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
While interacting with the media, the SP chief was replying to queries over the prospective leader of an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grand alliance composed of Opposition parties, if it took shape.
The SP chief buttressed his point by maintaining that he never wanted to lead the country.
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh between 2012-2017, Akhilesh said he aspired only to work for UP’s development.
However, party insiders said his clarification is being seen as a move to keep Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati at ease. Notably, Mayawati’s name to lead the opposition ’s grand alliance has come from various quarters and her prime-ministerial ambitions are well known among political circles.
His statement now assumes more significance and relevance amidst heightened efforts by Opposition leaders such as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu who is touring different states and meeting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rivals to evolve a consensus on cobbling up the grand alliance.