Even if a formal alliance fails to come through, the SP still has a "tacit understanding" with the Congress which would continue after the elections as well, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav [Images] said today.

"If Samajwadi Party enters into an electoral alliance with the Congress, there will be nothing like it. But if we do not have an alliance, both the parties still have a tacit understanding," Yadav told reporters.

On whether contesting against each other will affect poll prospects of both the SP and the Congress, Mulayam said the two parties would contest the elections in coordination with each other.

"We (SP-Congress) do not have any differences and our understanding will botch political prospects of the ruling BSP in the Lok Sabha polls", he claimed.

"Contesting elections separately will not have any impact on the understanding we have with Congress. It would continue after elections as well...", he said.

Asked about talks going on with Congress President Sonia Gandhi [Images], Yadav said, "It is a routine process".

About his relationship with Kalyan Singh [Images], Yadav said that it was a "friendship of two mass base leaders and we will campaign together."
"Though Kalyan is having health-related problems, he will still campaign for the SP," he added.