Uttar Pradesh: Alliance with Akhilesh Yadav intact, RLD still backs SP

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Uttar Pradesh president Masood Ahmad has backed Samajwadi Party (SP) and said that RLD will not end its alliance with Akhilesh Yadav.

"We are not ending alliance with Akhilesh Yadav. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ending alliance with Samajwadi Party won't impact our alliance with Samajwadi Party," Masood Ahmad said.

Masood Ahmad also said that RLD wants Congress to join the Uttar Pradesh gathbandhan (alliance).

Two days ago, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati ended her party's alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party.

The opposition gathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh unravelled on Tuesday with BSP chief Mayawati declaring her party will fight the assembly bypolls alone, prompting Akhilesh Yadav to say his SP too is ready to go solo.

RLD's move of backing SP came a day after Ahmad's statement that RLD will contest the UP assembly bypolls on its own whenever they are held.

"Party chief Ajit Singh and Jayant Chaudhary will decide on the number of seats the party will contest and the matter may be discussed during a meeting in the next few days," Ahmad said.

The UP assembly bypolls will be important for the RLD as it has no representation in the UP legislative assembly.

In the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, the RLD had contested from three constituencies and lost in all three.

Also Read | Now RLD announces it will fight UP assembly bypolls alone

Also Watch | Rahul Gandhi never wanted to form alliance with SP-BSP: Akhilesh Yadav