SP, BSP give RLD three Lok Sabha seats in UP, Akhilesh says Congress part of 'mahagatbandhan'

Addressing a press conference with RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, the son of party founder Ajit Singh, Yadav said the party would contest the Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha seats in UP.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati (File | PTI)

LUCKNOW: The Rashtriya Lok Dal will contest three Lok Sabha seats as part of an alliance with the SP and the BSP, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday and also declared that the Congress was very much part of the "mahagatbandhan".

Addressing a press conference with RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, the son of party founder Ajit Singh, Yadav said the party would contest the Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha seats in western Uttar Pradesh.

Jayant Chaudhary,RLD: Rashtriya Lok Dal will contest on three seats in Uttar Pradesh https://t.co/iBN1zGIvSc

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 5, 2019

To repeated questions, the SP chief asserted that the Congress was "very much in the alliance". "We have left two seats (Amethi and Rae Bareli) for the party," he said.

Akhilesh Yadav: Congress is with us, it is a part of our alliance. Why do you(media) repeatedly ask if Congress will come with us or not? I have said before also that Congress is part of Mahagatbandhan, they will contest on 2 seats in our alliance pic.twitter.com/RtdExxWo5B

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 5, 2019

Yadav said the alliance partners will jointly take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 seats.