Lucknow: According to Shivpal Singh Yadav, national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, every effort will be taken to accommodate all the alliance partners in seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
With this announcement, Shivpal puts to rest any speculations of problems within the newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) over the distribution of seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Talking to reporters, Shivpal said, "Alliance means accommodating all the political partners. We will all sit together and workout seat sharing. Samajwadi Party is making all efforts to strengthen the alliance and defeat the BJP."
The new alliance includes the Indian National Congress as well as the state's four major political parties: the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Apna Dal (Kameravadi), and the Aam Admi Party.
Asked about the possibilities of roping in the Bahujan Samaj Party, which is not part of the two national alliances, INDIA or NDA, he said the BSP was not following the ideology of its founder late Kanshi Ram and was considered close to the BJP.
Shivpal said he would discuss with SP president Akhilesh Yadav about all the details of seat sharing. About possibilities of his contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said he would follow the directives of the party leadership in this regard.
Shivpal said in response to a question that leaders like Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP)Â leader Om Prakash Rajbhar and former SP leader Dara Singh joining the BJP was immaterial because these leaders did not carry any weight.
Even constitutional officials like the Prime Minister and the chief minister, Shivpal claimed, were targets of the SBSP leader's harsh remarks. "I have also remained in opposition. I have, however, never made any such comments. These people have made comments even against those who occupy constitutional positions," he said.
Shivpal denied giving a ticket to Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas Ansari, who is SBSP MLA, and said that it was the problem of the SBSP and the BJP and the SP had nothing to do with it.—Inputs from Agencies