Hopeful of tie-up with BSP in LS polls: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi:Despite Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati ruling out any tie up with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, party president Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed confidence of an alliance with the BSP in the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at the HT leadership summit, the Congress president also expressed confidence that despite the alliance with the BSP not working out in the assembly elections, the party would win in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

On the BJP ruling out an alliance with the Congress in MP, Mr Gandhi said, ''we were pretty flexible. I was more flexible than the state leaders. We were in the midst of a conversation and I guess they decided to go alone.''

He, however, expressed confidence of a tie up with the party in the Lok Sabha elections.''The alliance in the state and the centre is different. Mayawati ji has indicated that. I think in national elections, the parties will come together, particularly in Uttar Pradesh,'' Mr Gandhi said.

While admitting that a tie up with BSP in Madhya Pradesh would have helped the Congress, he, however, expressed confidence that the party would win the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana  and Chhattisgarh.

''Though it would have been a good thing for us, I do not think that the alliance not working out for the assembly polls would impact the Congress,''he said.

Ms Mayawati earlier this week had ruled out any tie up with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh accusing former state Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh of sabotaging efforts to build a coalition against the BJP.

The Congress, however, saw hope in the statement by Ms Mayawati that intentions of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party president are honest and said, ''if there is trust between the leaders of the two parties, creases can be ironed out.''(UNI)