Mulayam Singh Yadav to contest from Mainpuri

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav announced that Samajwadi Party (SP) founder and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav will be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Mainpuri constituency.

Furthermore, Yadav said any decision on pre-poll alliances will be taken by the party chiefs.

Addressing the media here on Saturday, he asserted, "I have no information about SP-BSP alliance, only the party chiefs know about it. Only Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati can make an announcement related to this."

On being asked if the Congress party will be kept away from the alliance, Yadav said, "Why are you talking about imaginary things? Understand the meaning of alliance and what is going on here."

Uttar Pradesh plays a crucial role in the formation of a government at the centre as it has 80 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 543 in the Lower House of Parliament.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party made almost a clean sweep, bagging 71 seats, while its ally Apna Dal got two seats. The SP had got five and the Congress could retain just Amethi and Raebareli seats. The Bahujan Samaj Party could not open its account.