Akhilesh for Mulayam as PM, Rahul as deputy PM

New Delhi: An alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress is possible in the next Lok Sabha polls if Mulayam Singh Yadav is declared the prime ministerial candidate and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi his deputy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said.

At the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, Akhilesh Yadav was asked about the possibility of an alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. Yadav said: “Rahul Gandhi is an old friend... If they say Netaji (Mulayam Singh) will be the prime minister and Rahul Gandhi the deputy prime minister, I will say yes to an alliance right now.” He ruled out the possibility of shaking hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) or the BJP.

Present in the audience, Rahul Gandhi declined to respond to the comment. The UP chief minister, however, repeated the answer again on another question on 2017



elections.

The condition of accepting Mulayam Singh as the prime ministerial candidate was put forward by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister when he asserted that he can never partner with the BJP and claimed that Rahul Gandhi is his old friend.

“He is sitting here, you can ask him. He is a very good friend of mine,” said the UP chief minister.

In his frank acceptance that SP chief and his father Mulayam Singh nurtures the dream of becoming prime minister of the country, Akhilesh said, “Why are you asking me? Because I am a Samajwadi  and you say that I get scolded by my father. His dreams should also come true...If he becomes prime minister, then I am open to an alliance.”

When asked about the possibility of joining hands with Mayawati, he said Mayawati wants stone elephants to come up. So how is that possible? I have already told you my formula,” he said.