AIMIM refutes alliance talks with Akhilesh Yadav; slams OP Rajbhar for misleading people

As SBSP chief OP Rajbhar stitches up an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav, AIMIM on Thursday, has refuted holding any talks with SP. Refuting Rajbhar's claims that AIMIM will be offered 10-15 seats, AIMIM state chief Syed Asim Waqar urged Akhilesh Yadav to reach out to him directly to stitch up an alliance. AIMIM has announced that it will contest on 100 seats in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls.

AIMIM: 'No talks with SP, Rajbhar misleading'

"OP Rajbhar is saying that Akhilesh ji is ready to give 10-15 seats to AIMIM and such talks are going on. I want to ask Rajbhar ji 'Who are you misleading? Who are you talking to in my party?' I am the UP in-charge and Asad sahab had tasked me with alliance talks."

"Akhilesh ji, tell me the names of those 10 seats which you want to give us. Akhilesh ji knows me personally and I am available if he wants to talk. You do not need any mediator between us. Rajbhar Sahab, you are playing games and you declare how many seats have you been offered".

Earlier on Wednesday, Rajbhar claimed that it was Akhilesh Yadav's estranged uncle Shivpal yadav who urged him to tie up wth SP. Rajbhar revealed, "4 of us met at Shivpal Yadav's house. It was decided there that Shivpal will take a decision by October 10. But he could not take a decision by the 10th regarding the SP alliance. He asked me to talk to Akhilesh for an alliance". Shivpal Yadav was conspicuously absent from SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's birthday.

"There are 9 parties with us so far. Include Krishna Ji. You saw Baburam Pal Ji, Premchand Prajapati, Anil Chauhan, Ramsagar Bind, Satish Banjara, Premchand Kashyap, Gulab Ji were on the stage on the 27th. From that day itself, I said that we are talking to others. I had facilitated one round of talks of Pallavi Ji and Krishna Ji with Akhilesh," he added.

UP polls 2022

With BJP fighting under the leadership of incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath, several fronts have cropped up to challenge the ruling BJP. SP chief Akhilesh Singh Yadav has stated that SP will only ally with smaller political parties for the 2022 Assembly polls, holding talks with Mahan Dal, NCP, SBSP. Mayawati has already announced that her party will fight polls alone in UP and Uttarakhand, while allying only with Akali Dal in Punjab. Congress has aggressively campaigned under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi in the state, eyeing its solo return. The 403-seat UP assembly where Yogi rules with an iron-clad majority of 314 seats, is up for grabs in February 2022.