Prospects of Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance in rough weather

UP CM's offer came in the backdrop of talks between Samajwadi Party and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday along with a special emissary of Priyanka Gandhi in Lucknow.

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Lucknow: Media persons and SP party workers standing outside Mulayam Singh Yadav’s residence while Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav was meeting his father and uncle Shivpal Yadav in Lucknow on Tuesday. PTI Photo

The Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance has reportedly not materialised as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday had offered 99 seats to the Congress party as against their demand of at least 115 seats for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, reported news agency ANI quoting sources. Commenting on the status of the alliance, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told ANI that by Sunday morning people will know the outcome. UP CM’s offer came in the backdrop of talks between Samajwadi Party and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday along with a special emissary of Priyanka Gandhi in Lucknow.

SP leader Naresh Agarwal said, “They were told that we already have 234 sitting MLAs and some others will also contest and that we cannot contest from anything less than 300 seats. But, the Congress appeared to be adamant. It seemed that they have a great influence in the state.” On the other hand, UP BJP state president chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said BJP is not going to be affected irrespective of the alliance outcome.

Asked whether scope of further talks still exists, he said the “possibility has virtually dwindled.” “I will blame Congress for this…they have helped the BJP. However, we made every effort to forge an alliance but they have been very stubborn…” he said. On the other hand, Congress’ Central Election Committee met in Delhi and finalised candidates for 140 seats which will go to polls in the first two phases. However, the party did not declare these candidates, leaving scope for possible alliance for which talks were still underway.

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“We had a meeting of CEC for first and second phase,” Congress general secretary and incharge of Uttar Pradesh
Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters, adding party’s candidates for 140 seats were finalised in this meeting.

ALSO READ: Possibility of Samajwadi Party alliance with Congress in UP almost over: Naresh Agarwal

Meanwhile, BSP supremo Mayawati on Saturday slammed the SP-Congress alliance saying that Congress’ attempted tie-up with ruling Samajwadi Party showed its political bankruptcy and will be inimical to party which is “running on oxygen support” in Uttar Pradesh.

ALSO READ: UP assembly polls: Alliance with SP will not help Congress, says Mayawati

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She alleged that Congress was kowtowing to Samajwadi Party by accepting “tainted” Akhilesh Yadav as the chief ministerial candiate and claimed several Congress leaders have come to BSP after talks for an alliance between the two parties for the upcoming Assembly polls.

(With PTI inputs)

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