What 'influenced' Akhilesh Yadav to talk of alliance with BSP: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP today mocked Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav for alleging that exit polls were "influenced" as it wondered what influenced its president Akhilesh Yadav to talk about an alliance with the BSP.

"Ram Gopal Yadav's comments contradict the stand taken by Akhilesh from time to time. What was the reason that he allied with the Congress despite his party enjoying a majority in the state assembly.

"He then suggested allying with Mayawati (BSP chief) to keep the BJP out of power, after exit polls yesterday showed that we are winning. What influenced him?" BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma asked.

The SP general secretary had today alleged that exit polls were influenced to forecast a favourable result for the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh polls and expressed confidence that the SP-Congress alliance would emerge victorious.

Sharma claimed that the poor in the state and outside had rallied around Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the rivals SP, BSP and Congress were seen as an alliance of corrupt and criminal forces, the BJP was seen to be in a position under Modi to rid people of their misrule, he claimed.