Amid the INDIA bloc’s troubles in Bihar, West Bengal and Punjab, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the responsibility of holding together the Opposition alliance rested squarely on the shoulders of the Congress. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar is said to be on the verge of returning to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) while West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will contest the Lok Sabha polls on its own. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said the party will contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state. “Mamata ji (TMC supremo) wants to contest. The Congress should persuade her. Congress ki badi jimmedari iss chotte dalon ko saath lane ki (It is Congress's responsibility to bring together these smaller parties),” Akhilesh told reporters in the Tirwa area of Kannauj district. Asked about reports of Nitish ditching the Opposition alliance, Akhilesh said, “We are hopeful that Nitish ji will not go back to the NDA but strengthen the INDIA bloc.” On the possible shape of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said, “A very good alliance is taking shape. This is not an alliance of seats but one of jeet (victory).” On how many seats Congress would get as part of the alliance, the SP chief said, “Number of seats could be anything. The alliance is based on winnability. Our strategy for the distribution (of seats) is based on who can win.” The SP is the leading INDIA constituent in UP, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are the two other alliance partners in the state. While the SP last week finalised a seat-sharing agreement with the RLD, which will get seven seats, talks with the Congress are in progress. The SP chief also spoke about the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex. “The government is taking such steps to cover up its failures on issues like unemployment, inflation and farmers. This is a conspiracy to disturb the fabric of bhaichara (brotherhood) and unity,” he said. Earlier in the day, SP national secretary and spokesperson Rajeev Rai criticised the Congress leadership over the current state of the INDIA bloc. In a post on X, Rai asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, “… Amid the news coming from Bihar, ask yourself honestly what are you doing?” He also wrote, “Is it possible that the words of your leaders in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and other states, against strong partners of the INDIA alliance, were/are without your consent? Lest it happen that it gets so late that while trying to take something from others’ share, you lose a lot … Are you weakening the alliance in the name of elections and yatra to kill time and strengthen yourself? Please think about it.”
