UP CM Akhilesh Yadav says he is ready to tie up with BSP if needed

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said having a President's rule in his state is not desirable and if needed, he will tie up with BSP.

In case Samajwadi Party doesn’t get majority, Akhilesh Yadav told BBC that it is better to join hands with Mayawati than to see the state under Presidents Rule.

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His surprising remarks right when exit poll predicted BJP could win with majority in the state. While some of the survey predicted BJP emerging as the single largest party in UP, other gave them a clean majority.

Despite Congress alliance with the ruling Samajwadi Party, the alliance seems to have failed in gaining desirable results.

Notably, Times Now's exit poll gives the BJP a sharp edge, saying it will win between 190 and 210 seats in Uttar Pradesh; 201 seats will obviously give the BJP a majority. Times Now expects the SP-Congress alliance to win between 110 and 130 seats, while the BSP may get anywhere between 54 and 74 seats, it says.

VMR's exit poll predicts as many as 200 seats for the BJP, 120 for the SP-Congress alliance and 64 for the BSP.