London: Samajwadi Party (SP) will have neither alliance nor be part of any front in the next general elections, but it will extend support based on issues, its president and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav has said.

"We will not have an alliance with any party. We will only give and take support on issues – issue based support," Yadav said while participating in a BBC Hindi Special Programme, 'Aapki Baat BBC Ke Saath' broadcast on September 14 night.

Asked specifically whether the party would stay out of a coalition led by Congress in the next general elections, the SP chief said, "Samajwadi Party will not have any alliance and will not be a part of any front – we will only give and take support based on issues."

To a pointed question whether he would support Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister after the next elections, Yadav said, "Well there are no elections taking place at the moment. Let the next Lok Sabha elections take place, and see who gets how many seats. It will be decided after that, who will be the Prime Minister of the country.

"As of today, it is important for me to have the support of Congress. That is why I have said we will give and take support based on issues."

When another questioner reminded him that in 1999, after the fall of the Atal Behari Vajpayee government, he did not support the alternative under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, due to her foreign origin, the SP president silenced him by asking him not to try to rake up "a dead issue now".

PTI