UP assembly polls: Bhim Army Chief rules out alliance with SP, says Akhilesh eyeing 'Dalit vote bank'

NEW DELHI:

Bhim Army

chief

Chandrashekhar Azad

on Saturday ruled out an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Azad feels that the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav does not want Dalits in this alliance and just wants Dalit vote bank.

"He humiliated the people of

Bahujan Samaj

, I tried for 1 month 3 days but the alliance could not happen," Azad said.

Azad said his political outfit, Azad Samaj Party, will not form an alliance with Samajwadi party.

Notably, Akhilesh Yadav has stitched an alliance with several smaller parties to bolster the chances of SP returning to power in the upcoming state elections.

Azad further said that leaders of backward classes, Dalits and others are supporting Yadav with a belief that he will do social justice.

"However, I believe that Akhilesh Yadav does not understand the meaning of social justice. It does not happen with words," Azad said.

Taking a dig at Yadav, Azad said his silence over the atrocities on Dalits shows that he is now behaving like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Yesterday after we met, I had left the resposibility of the decision of an alliance on Yadav ji saying that you are my elder brother. I believe he should have called me," Azad said.

"We have decided that we will not form an alliance with him," he added.

Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7.

(With agency inputs)