Uttar Pradesh assembly elections: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav rules out alliance with any party

Amid speculations, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of an alliance with any political party for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Addressing the media, Mulayam said, "Samajwadi party is not forming an alliance with anyone." The SP supremo also said that the BJP will get a befitting reply for demonetization from the people itself.

Last week, amid whispers about an SP-Congress-RLD alliance, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had said that the party was ready to contest the Uttar Pradesh polls, due next year, on its own for now.

Singh also said that the party had declared a list of 325 candidates and the names of candidates for rest of the 78 seats would be announced soon. The party has given tickets to 176 sitting MLAs. Congress had demanded for at least 100 seats from SP, which was deemed too high by the ruling party. UP CM Akhilesh Yadav was strongly in favour of the alliance and had predicted that together they can win over 300 seats. Mulayam rejecting such proposition may again start a power struggle in SP. 

(More details awaited)