The Congress’ chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh Sheila Dikshit said that she will step away from the role if her party ties up with the Samajwadi Party for the upcoming polls. Dikshit told NDTV that the state’s current chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was a “much better” candidate for the post. However, there are no reports of an alliance between the two parties. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had earlier said they would not ally with anyone for the polls.

Her remarks come the day the Election Commission announced polling dates for Uttar Pradesh and four other states – Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand. Elections begin on February 4 and will end on March 8. Counting will be held on March 11.

The Samajwadi Party, however, has been marred by infighting, which escalated after Akhilesh Yadav released his own list of poll candidates on December 29. The party has split into two factions, of Yadav’s and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav’s. Both leaders have also appealed to the Election Commission to allow only their choice of candidates to contest under the party symbol, a cycle.