Akhilesh ready to give up Lok Sabha seats to keep alliance with BSP alive

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party is ready to sacrifice a few seats to continue its alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and ensure in-power Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"Our alliance with BSP will continue. In 2019, even if we have to give up a few seats we will do it. We have to ensure BJP is defeated," Akhilesh said while addressing a rally here on Sunday.

"World is developing rapidly, these same neighbors, Pakistan and China used to be much behind us. Today China has taken a big lead over us," he added.

However, BJP is skeptical about the SP-BSP alliance as they believe Mayawati and Akhilesh will "finish off after fighting among themselves."

"Bua and Babua (Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav) will finish off after fighting among themselves. This isn't an alliance based on issues. An issue-less alliance never works. They will finish off before the (2019) election comes: said Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya.

SP-BSP alliance played a big role in the recent Lok Sabha by-elections in Kairana and Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh.