No post-poll alliance with Congress: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav denied the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the Congress and expressed confidence that his party will get full majority in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. In an interview with a TV channel, Akhilesh said the Congress was fighting the polls not to defeat the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but to deter the Samajwadi Party (SP). Akhilesh, the son of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, also said that if his party comes to power, it will not demolish statues built by Mayawati and the land will be used for building services for the poor.
"An alliance with the Congress is not possible because the party does not want the Samajwadi Party to grow. The Congress has worked to the detriment of the Samajwadi Party. Even the ticket distribution has been done to deter the Samajwadi Party, not to defeat the BSP," he said. Asked about the possibility of president's rule in the state, Akhilesh said he was confident that his party will get full majority. On the SP supporting the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the wake of the Left parties withdrawing support over the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said Mulayam Singh had already termed it as a mistake.  On his chances of becoming Chief Minister if SP gets the numbers, Yadav said this question has to be put to Mulayam Singh Yadav. "As far as taking responsibility is concerned, everyone wants Netaji (Mulayam) to be Chief Minister of UP," he said.