There should be a third force: Akhilesh Yadav

In the midst of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's campaign for a third front to fight the next Lok Sabha polls, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today met Jayalalithaa.
Though he declined to respond to questions after a 30-minute meeting with Jayalalithaa, at an event here earlier in the day, Yadav made a strong pitch for a 'third force' at the national level.
"Yes, there should be a third force. We, Samajwadi Party believe that there should be a third force at the National level", he told reporters on his maiden visit to the city after taking over as UP Chief Minister in March last year.

His visit comes against the backdrop of his father intensifying efforts to forge an alternative to the BJP and the Congress ahead of the 2014 elections.
"They - Congress and BJP have not fulfilled their promises. Their policies are not pro-poor. Congress and BJP and their allies have failed on many fronts. Opportunity is there for a third force. There should be a third force", he said.
To a query on whether his party would pull out of the UPA government, Akhilesh remarked "there are good and there are bad (things in relations between SP and Congress). We are with the government. We are co-operating with the Government. But Government is not cooperating with us. My father will take a decision (on pulling out from UPA)".

The 22 member Samajwadi Party extends outside support to the UPA government.

During his brief visit to the city, Yadav inaugurated PMK's "Vanniar Youth Cultural Festival" and later called on Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat.
Yadav urged the youth to extend support to his party to lead the nation. "Without your support we might not be able to get that strength (of leading a nation)", he said.
He condemned the rape of a five-year-old girl in Delhi, saying "safety of women should be the priority. Whichever government is there, there has to be strong action against those committing crimes against women. It should be the priority of the government.