Haryana assembly election results have thrown Congress in a situation where its allies are questioning the party’s credentials in a direct fight against the BJP. A day after Haryana poll results, Samajwadi Party announced the names of six candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls, leaving only four seats open for talks. The Congress is under pressure and may end up contesting either one or two or no seats if it chooses to remain with the Samajwadi Party. Congress may also contest all the 10 seats if the SP doesn’t agree to the grand old party’s seat-sharing demands.
There have been speculations about a possible rift between the SP and the Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Reacting to the row, Kannauj MP and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the party will contest the bypolls in alliance with the Congress.
“INDIA bloc is intact in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party and Congress will fight together in the upcoming UP by-elections,” Akhilesh Yadav said while addressing media after offering tribute on the second death anniversary of Samajwadi party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
On October 9, the SP announced candidates on six seats of by-elections i.e., Karhal, Sisamau, Katheri, Phuplpur, Milkipur and Majhwa. Soon after the announcement, Congress State Incharge Avinash Pandey said that no information was given to them about it and no discussion was held with the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc.
“It is true that no information was given to us about it. There has been no discussion with the coordination committee of the INDIA alliance yet. As far as the announcement of seats and contesting elections is concerned, whatever decision the Coordination Committee of INDIA alliance takes, it will be accepted by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee….Possibilities (of alliance) always remain till the end, it cannot be denied,” Pandey said.
The ten assembly seats scheduled for by-polls are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).
