SP to field candidates on 56 seats in Guj Assembly polls

"We want to strengthen the secular forces and contest Gujarat Assembly polls based on the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi," he told mediapersons here, adding that they would field 56 candidates in the state elections.

Tripathi was in the city to address a convention of party workers.

On whether SP will have an alliance with any other party in the state, he said, "SP will not have any alliance with Congress or BJP and we want to emerge as a strong party to play a significant role in the formation of the government in Gujarat after the polls."

"Our party will prefer formation of Third Front for contesting the next Lok Sabha elections, whenever it is held," Tripathi said, adding that the Front will not have Congress and BJP as its allied partners.

Describing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the "most popular leader" he said there is no question of comparing him with the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

To a question on expulsion of SP's Rajya MP and editor of an Urdu daily Shahid Siddique after he took Modi's interview, he said "it is party's internal matter."