Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati held a joint press conference in Lucknow on Saturday to announce SP-BSP alliance for the Lok Sabha polls.
Amid differences over seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh for upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary is likely to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Delhi on Wednesday.
The meeting comes a few days after Akhilesh and BSP supremeo Mayawati held a joint press conference in Lucknow on Saturday to announce an alliance for the general elections.
The SP and the BSP have decided on a 50-50 seat-sharing deal under which each party will contest 38 seats. Both parties will leave two seats for the smaller parties. Akhilesh and Mayawati did not specify the "smaller parties" but it was speculated that it has been left for the RLD which has its base in Western Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats, the highest for any state.
According to reports, the RLD has demanded five seats to contest. However, sources have said that the SP may leave on of its seats for the Ajit Singh-led party.
Last year, the two parties together contested the Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll where Tabassum Hasan, an SP leader, fought on an RLD symbol. Sources said a formula like that could also be worked out between the two parties.
Last week, ahead of the joint SP-BSP press conference, Chaudhary had met Yadav in Lucknow.
"We discussed about present politics and future course of action and also about BJP''s failures," Chaudhary later told PTI over the phone.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday met Mayawati in Lucknow to wish her on her 63rd birthday. Mayawati addressed a press conference in Lucknow on the occasion and urged the workers of the two parties to forget past differences and work together to ensure the victory of all candidates.
"Forget past differences and ensure victory of all joint candidates of the SP and the BSP. This will be my ideal birthday gift," she said.
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