Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday set to rest speculations that the Samajwadi Party would join with the Congress in its struggle against the Bharatiya Janata Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
"This is a direct fight. We have not to take any crooked path," Yadav said at a massive rally organised in Etawah to accord a 'Naagarik Abhinandan' [citizen's welcome] to him.
His remark is significant amidst speculations, after Yadav's recent meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, that the two parties would work in close coordination for the next assembly session, including work out a quid-pro-quo electoral alliance in the ensuing assembly bye-election for Haidargarh and Gauriganj.
The Congress party has serious stakes in Gauriganj, which falls under the traditional Gandhi family parliamentary constituency of Amethi.
Although the last date of withdrawal is over, it is expected that close to polling date the Samajwadi Party candidate in Gauriganj would announce his retirement in favour of the Congress nominee while the Congress candidate would do the same in Haidergarh.
The Congress, which had also undergone a recent split in UP with eight of its MLAs defecting out to join the Mayawati-led BSP-BJP coalition government in the state, is also contemplating to rope in SP's support to bring in a no-confidence motion against state government on the opening day of the ensuing budget session of assembly.
The Congress, which was reduced to a group of 16 MLAs after the split needs the support of at least another 25 MLAs to fulfill the 10 percent criteria for moving a no-confidence motion in a house of 403.
Yadav is likely to attend the Congress president's dinner hosted by Gandhi on Sunday on the eve of the ensuing budget session of the parliament to work out a better floor coordination.
The chief attraction of the Etawah show, which is being widely interpreted as a rejoinder to the last month Mayawati's birthday bash, was cine super star Amitabh Bachchan who mesmerised the crowd by reciting his father's famous poem 'Agnipath' [Path of fire].
SP general secretary Amar Singh, when asked if the citizen's welcome was a rejoinder to Mayawati's birthday bash, said, "This comparison is neither fair nor correct. Mulayam Singh doesn't need ask for a citizen's felicitation. And if you have heard his speech he has made it clear that he was not in favour of being praised or to blow his own trumpet.
Terming it as the people's sentiments and their affection for Mulayam Singh, Singh said it people from all sections and groups including the Congress, the CPI-M and some top poets participated in the function.