New Delhi:
The Opposition INDIA bloc received another blow today — though not an unexpected one –– as the Samajwadi Party released a list of 16 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections amid seat-sharing talks with the Congress. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav made it clear that his party will do what it thinks is best and no clearance from the Congress is needed.
The Congress has been rebuffed by Mamata Banerjee in Bengal and AAP’s Bhagwant Mann in Punjab in terms of seat sharing. The whole Opposition has been jilted by NItish Kumar, who defected and took oath as the Bihar Chief Minister for the ninth time on Sunday, to head an alliance government with the BJP.
That the Samajwadi Party could be “difficult” became clear last year after the Congress’s local leaders in Madhya Pradesh refused to honour the central leadership’s agreement with Akhilesh Yadav for six seats.
State party chief Kamal Nath’s “Don’t know any Akhilesh-Vakilesh” comment had made it to headlines, sparking deep anger in the Samajwadi camp.
Today, Akhilesh Yadav, after announcing the 16 candidates, said the Samajwadi Party “will take decisions in the alliance in UP in its own way”.
In 80-seat Uttar Pradesh, Mr Yadav has offered the Congress 11 seats. In 2019,with no alliance in place, the party had not contested from Amethi and Rae Bareli as a gesture of courtesy.
Among the candidates named today is Dimple Yadav, the wife of the SP chief, who will be contesting from family bastion Mainpuri.
