3 min readLucknowAug 20, 2023 07:34 AM IST
First published on: Aug 19, 2023 at 09:17 PM IST
As allies in the INDIA Opposition grouping, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) put up a united face for the upcoming Assembly bypoll in Ghosi seat in Uttar Pradesh: The Congress did not field a candidate of its own and chose to extend support to the SP.
However, the SP has not reciprocated the gesture as it has also fielded its candidate in the Bageshwar Assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand, where the Congress has fielded its nominee against the BJP’s candidate.
This indicated that there are internal dynamics within the INDIA alliance that are left to be worked out and that seat-sharing would be a stumbling block for the allies going forward.
The Bageshwar seat bypoll, scheduled for September 5 along with Ghosi and five other seats, was necessitated after the death of sitting BJP MLA Chandan Ram Das. The BJP has fielded his wife Parvati Das in an attempt to reach out to the supporters of late Chandan Ram Das, who was a four-time MLA. The Congress gave its ticket to Basant Kumar, who was the AAP’s candidate from the seat in 2022. The SP has also thrown its hat into the ring by fielding Bhagwati Prasad Trikoti, a farmer who had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Congress leaders told The Indian Express that they were “expecting cooperation from the SP” in Bageshwar and would want the latter to reconsider its decision before the window for the withdrawal of nomination closes.
Congress state vice president (organisation) Mathura Dutt Joshi said, “August 21 is the date of withdrawal of nomination. We are expecting the SP to withdraw their candidature. We are in talks. This development sends the wrong message about the unity of INDIA constituents.”
The SP, on the other hand, made it clear that the party would not withdraw its candidate.
The SP’s Uttarakhand president SP Pokhariyal said, “The alliance under INDIA is intact. But we are contesting the bypoll to strengthen the organisation and base in Bageshwar. We will not withdraw our candidate and fight with full strength.”
The party’s spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said they were contesting the bypoll because “an alliance formula has not been worked out yet”.
The BJP and the Congress have been the key players in Bageshwar for years. The SP has only had a marginal presence not just in the seat but also in Uttarakhand.
In the 2022 Assembly election, Das had won the seat by polling 43.14% of the votes, defeating the Congress’ Ranjit Das. The SP had only got 508 votes then.
The SP had won a few Assembly seats in the districts that constitute present day Uttarakhand when it was part of the undivided Uttar Pradesh. The party has not achieved any major success in Uttarakhand since its formation in 2000. It’s only notable victory in the state was the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat in 2004.
However, the SP has not reciprocated the gesture as it has also fielded its candidate in the Bageshwar Assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand, where the Congress has fielded its nominee against the BJP's candidate. (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav) 
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