Shivpal files nomination from Jaswantnagar, says decision on alliance after polls

In what may irk Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Tuesday said that any decision on the alliance with the Congress would be taken after the assembly polls.

Shivpal, who filed his nomination from Jaswantnagar, said he is contesting the polls on the Samajwadi Party's ticket.

"Any decision on alliance will be decided after the elections," he told ANI.

Even after the Akhilesh-led faction won rights to the iconic 'cycle' symbol, Shivpal did not comment on the newly-formed alliance.

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, however, has made clear his disapproval for the alliance and categorically stated that he would not campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

When asked to comment on Mulayam's statement, Shivpal responded, "I am with Netaji."

Earlier on January 29, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav in their maiden outing in Lucknow shared tight hugs and warm handshake besides donning same coloured jackets.

Gandhi dominated the interaction comparing the alliance between the Samajwadi Party and Congress with the confluence of the rivers of Ganga and Yamuna that join at 'sangam' to form the river Saraswati.

Declaring that their combined objective was to "defeat the fascist forces," respond to "politics of hate" and counter divisive ideology, the two leaders said that the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance would usher in a "storm of development".

Both leaders resorted to symbolism to drive home their point.

Gandhi said that he shared both a "personal and political relationship" with Akhilesh and their coming together was akin to the "meeting of the Ganga and Yamuna at the Sangam."

Akhilesh, in turn, pronounced that they were "two wheels of the cycle."

The leaders also released the joint campaign slogan 'UP koh yeh saath pasand hai' (UP relishes this alliance).

Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election between February 11 and March 8.

Out of the 403 assembly seats, the Congress will be contesting in 105 seats and the Samajwadi Party will field its candidates in rest of the 298 seats.