LUCKNOW: As the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance unravelled in Uttar Pradesh, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday described the tie-up as a “trial” and said while such alliances may not always be successful, they help in knowing the shortcomings.
“Yes, there are trials, and sometimes you are not successful, but at least you can know your shortcomings,” said the SP president.
Yadav though said he respected Mayawati irrespective of their political equation.
“I stand by my earlier statement that respecting Mayawati ji is same as respecting me,” said Yadav.
He had made the statement earlier this year when the alliance was announced.
BSP chief Mayawati had called a review meeting in New Delhi on Monday to analyse the party’s Lok Sabha results where she announced the decision to contest the bypolls alone.
The BJP went on to win 62 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP, while the BSP won 10 and the SP only five.
Bypolls for 11 Assembly seats are due in Uttar Pradesh of which nine have been vacated by BJP MLAs and one each by BSP and SP.
“Under the current conditions in UP, we have decided to fight the bypolls... all alone,” Mayawati had said on Tuesday.
The third alliance partner, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), on Wednesday announced that they too shall contest the upcoming bypoll elections solo.
State RLD president, Masood Ahmad, however, hoped that the ‘gathbandhan’ would remain intact and said the Congress, too, should join it.