<p>Kolkata, Jan 12 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday welcomed the alliance of the SP and the BSP for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.</p><p>“I welcome the alliance of the SP and the BSP for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Ms Banerjee posted on her social networking page.</p>.<p>Earlier, the much awaited Mahagathbandhan of BSP and SP was announced in Lucknow today by Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.</p><p>In a crowded press conference, Ms Mayawati and Mr Yadav informed that the alliance will contest 38 seats each with leaving 2 each for smaller parties and Congress.</p><p>Though several questions went unanswered by both Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, but they claimed that the alliance will contribute long and will continue till 2022 assembly polls in UP.</p><p>Thus the two parties are coming together after 25 years. Earlier, Mulayam Singh Yadav and late Kanshi Ram of BSP had forged a tie decades ago.</p><p>UNI</p>
