Voices of opposition in SP over possible tie-up with RLD

Voices of opposition surfaced today in Samajwadi Party over its possible pre-poll tie-up with RLD in Uttar Pradesh, with its senior party leader Ramgopal Yadav saying an alliance with "a person who has lost his credibility in politics" will not be a wise thing.
Ramgopal, the cousin of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, issued a strong statement, opposing any alliance with RLD in the wake of his party supremo meeting Ajit Singh in New Delhi amidst indications of their inching closer to forging a tie-up.
Without taking Ajit Singh's name, Ramgopal said, "Nothing is bigger than credibility in one's life, politics and society. If someone loses his credibility, he does not mean anything. An alliance with a person who has lost his credibility in politics will not be a wise thing for any political party."

His statement came as SP insiders said the two parties are likely to have a seat-sharing pact for the 2017 Assembly polls slated next year and a Rajya Sabha berth for the RLD chief.
"The two parties are looking for a pre-poll pact that would largely be confined to Assembly constituencies in western UP," a party leader said.
SP stands to gain by the alliance in western UP, where Ajit Singh commands the support of the Jat community, the leader added.

"Talks have started (with RLD) on a good note. We already have good relations with Ajit Singhji. We want all followers of Lohia, Chaudhary Charan Singh and Gandhi to unite against BJP," said senior UP minister Shivpal Yadav in Sambhal.

He was asked by reporters to comment on the possibility of an electoral tie up with RLD.
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SP leaders said if Samajwadi Party decided to support the RLD chief for the Rajya Sabha berth, there could be a problem within the ruling party which will have to withdraw one of its seven candidates for the Upper House of Parliament.
All the seven SP candidates have already filed their nomination papers.
SP has already withdrawn Arvind Kumar Singh, its candidate for the Rajya Sabha to accommodate a Gujjar leader Surendra Nagar. Arvind was later accommodated and nominated to the State Legislative Council.

The nomination of expelled SP leader Amar Singh to Rajya Sabha also led to an uneasiness within the party as both Ramgopal and senior cabinet minister Azam Khan were reportedly not on the same page as the party supremo and Shivpal.
Ramgopal, who is the national general secretary of SP, had virtually left the party's parliamentary board meeting in a huff and driven straight to the airport for Delhi without taking questions from waiting mediapersons.
SP and RLD have joined hands in the past too. RLD was part of the SP government headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2003 but parted ways ahead of the 2007 assembly elections.

In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, RLD contested in alliance with BJP, but later Ajit Singh joined hand with Congress to be a minister in the previous UPA government.
Both Mulayam and Ajit have a love-hate relationship. Ever since the death of Chowdhary Charan Singh in 1987, his son Ajit staked claim for the legacy of his father which was strongly contested by Mulayam, was then leader of opposition in UP assembly as a Lok Dal MLA.