Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday ruled out any immediate expansion of his party's alliance, saying it would continue working with its existing partners ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
His remarks came a day after AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) leader Chandra Shekhar Aazad announced the formation of the Samajik Parivartan Morcha (SPM), a new political alliance to contest the polls.
"We are moving forward in collaboration with our previous alliance partners. In fact, I would suggest that they establish a permanent presence here; it would foster better coordination and facilitate ongoing dialogue," Yadav told reporters at the party headquarters.
He said the Samajwadi Party and the INDIA bloc shared a "permanent alliance" and were working consistently at the booth level to take on the BJP.
"In politics, many visitors appear during election season. Some of these individuals ought to stay and work here. They should witness the injustice, atrocities and persecution inflicted by the BJP government," he said.
Yadav also called on opposition parties to unite against the BJP, saying the Samajwadis would work to remove the ruling party from power.
Meanwhile, Aazad on Friday said the newly formed alliance was aimed at defeating the BJP and not fighting opposition parties. He and Owaisi have also invited the Samajwadi Party, Congress and other parties to join hands to prevent the BJP from securing a third consecutive term in Uttar Pradesh.
"I do not wish to fight against the opposition. The battle is against the ruling party. We have resolved to uproot the BJP. This alliance will drive the final nail into the BJP's coffin," Aazad told PTI Videos on Thursday.
Rejecting allegations that his party was functioning as the BJP's "B team", Aazad questioned why opposition parties, including the Congress, were contesting against one another in different states.
He also cited remarks by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who reportedly described the Aam Aadmi Party as the BJP's "B team" during a rally in Punjab.
Announcing the SPM on Thursday, the two leaders said the alliance would provide an independent political platform to deprived, oppressed and marginalised communities.
(With inputs from PTI)