Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party is very much part of the 'mahagatbandhan' (grand alliance) that includes the Congress, even though it has kept the grand old party at arm's length for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking to Zee Media's Sudhir Chaudhary at the 'India ka DNA' conclave via videoconferencing, Akhilesh said the mahagatbandhan would combine to give the country a new Prime Minister after the elections.
"We are part of the mahagatbandhan. There are many leaders that are part of the alliance in different states. For instance, there is Mamata ji (Banerjee) in West Bengal. Mahagatbandhan will give a new government, and a new and experienced person as Prime Minister to the country after the elections," Akhilesh said.
When asked how he reconciles claiming to be part of mahagatbandhan even as the SP and BSP had chosen not to ally with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh said, "Every state has a different logic that applies. Priyanka ji and Rahul ji are building their party, so let them focus on their strategy. The SP-BSP-RLD combine will decimate the BJP in Uttar Pradesh," Akhilesh claimed.
He also rubbished a question on what his father and former party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, had said in his final speech in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Mulayam had expressed hope that Narendra Modi returns as Prime Minister.
"That was not a blessing. That was just the Parliamentary tradition, that members say such things in their last speech in an outgoing House. Netaji (Mulayam) had also said a similar thing to Manmohan Singh ji. Did he come back because of that?" Akhilesh countered, as part of his effort to blunt what could seem a blessing from his father, whom he replaced as party chief in a hostile takeover.
Akhilesh said all opposition parties are working to ensure that they win in as many seats as possible to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi a second consecutive term.
