Akhilesh parries question on whether SP will back Rahul as PM

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today avoided a direct reply when asked whether his party would support Rahul Gandhi as prime minister.

"The country wants to see a new government at the Centre. People want to see a new prime minister. You will see a new prime minister after the elections," he said when asked whether he saw himself or the Congress president as the next prime minister.

Asked specifically if his party would support Rahul Gandhi for the PM's post -- if a non-BJP coalition gets the chance to form a government after the 2019 elections --Yadav, speaking at a press conference here, repeated his reply.

He, however, noted that during the recent bye-elections in Kairana and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress supported the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

"Whenever the Congress people talk, they talk very sweetly," he quipped.

On the possibility of an SP-BSP alliance for next year's general election, Yadav said, "You will soon learn about a (new) coalition."