It will be sangam of thoughts: Akhilesh on grand alliance

Amid speculation over alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party in run up to the national polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said there will be a confluence of thoughts in Uttar Pradesh and very soon people will know about it.

After defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in a slew of bypolls in the state, Yadav and Mayawati are said to be working for an electoral tie-up in UP where the BJP and its allies won 73 of the 80 seats in the last general elections.

Talking to reporters, Yadav said, "In UP, there will be sangam (confluence) of people and sangam of thoughts, and very soon it will be in front of you."

Asked whether the Congress will be a part of this confluence, he said, "I said that there will be sangam of people and thoughts. All answers are included in this."

In spite of helping the Congress form government in Madhya Pradesh, both Yadav and Mayawati have been staying away from the grand old party.

Yadav didn't hide his displeasure when lone SP lawmaker in Madhya Pradesh was not included in Kamal Nath's cabinet. He had said by doing so, the Congress 'cleared the path for Uttar Pradesh'.

While lending support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Mayawati had said that she was helping it to form the government to keep the BJP out.

Amid the hints dropped by the SP and the BSP, the Congress Saturday had said it was open to an alliance in UP with any party that wants to 'free' the people from BJP rule.

UP Congress chief Raj Babbar said his party moves forward keeping people's sentiments in mind and the people want to get rid of the BJP government as the same feeling was manifested in the recently held state elections.

"The forces that are there to defeat the BJP, should not weaken each other, be it us or them," he had said.

Yadav on Sunday also praised the efforts made by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is trying to bring together non-Congress and non-BJP parties to form a federal front.

He also took on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that police officers in state are following his 'Thoko Neeti' (encounter policy) to avoid getting transferred.

Raising questions on the prevailing law and order situation in the state, the former chief minister claimed that criminals have 'doubled' in UP under the BJP rule and 'law and order situation was not so bad earlier'.

"UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is advocating his Thoko Neeti (encounter policy) everywhere. Due to this, there is a trend among the police officials that they undertake encounters when they anticipate that they can be transferred. Their acts are emulated by their subordinates," Yadav said.

He also accused the BJP government of not fulfilling the promises made to the farmers, as a result of which, the SP chief claimed, lakhs of peasants have quit farming and are working as labourers to earn livelihood.

Yadav also exuded confidence that the country will get a new prime minister in the new year.