Congress must persuade Mamata, hope Nitish doesn't leave INDIA bloc: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said that the Congress has a "big responsibility" of taking along smaller parties.

When asked about West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's decision to go solo in the Lok Sabha elections, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said, "Mamata Banerjee has said to fight (alone) so Congress should persuade her. It is the big responsibility of Congress to take along smaller parties." The SP, Congress and TMC along with various opposition parties across the country are members of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc.

On the question of the possibility of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining the NDA, Yadav said, "There are no rumours and we hope that Nitish ji will not join the NDA. He will strengthen the INDIA bloc." Talking about alliance in Uttar Pradesh, he said that a "very good alliance is being made. The alliance is not of seats, but of victory." When asked how many seats the Congress will get, he said, "Victory is the part of the seat-sharing strategy." On being asked if he will contest the Lok Sabha election from Kannauj, he said, "The Samajwadi Party will contest from Kannauj and the BJP will be eradicated from here." Yadav attacked the government on Gyanvapi survey and said that it is doing this because inflation and unemployment are "at their peaks".

"This is a conspiracy to break the fabric of our brotherhood and unity," Yadav said.

Akhilesh Yadav had come to the Fakirpura village in the Tirwa Assembly constituency in Kannauj to hold a Jan Panchayat.