Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav (TOI file photo)

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party national executive on Saturday authorized party president Akhilesh Yadav to take decision on alliance and seat sharing for the general elections next year, an SP leader said.

Senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said, "The main decision taken in the national executive is that party president Akhilesh Yadav has been authorized to take a decision on alliance and seat sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls."

"The executive is of the view that elections should be held through ballot papers and not through EVMs," he told reporters here.

On absence of some party leaders, including Mohd Azam Khan from the meeting, he said, "Is it necessary that all should remain present? 90 per cent of the members were present. Party president Akhilesh Yadav was also there."

On being asked as to what the party would do if the Election Commission did not accept their demand for polls through ballot papers, Yadav said SP leaders would sit at the doors of the EC and resort to Satyagrah.

