The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have agreed to an alliance ahead for the Lok Sabha elections, an SP leader said.

A formal announcement on the “gathbandhan” between the two key parties in Uttar Pradesh is likely later this month, SP's national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI.

He said Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati had given their in-principle approval for an alliance after a series of meetings.

The two leaders also met on Friday, he said.