Amid heightening tensions with the Samajwadi Party (SP), after a near breakdown of seat sharing talks for neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, the Congress’s Uttar Pradesh chief, Ajay Rai, on Tuesday said the party does not rely on anyone’s ‘mercy’. Mr. Rai added the Congress is strengthening its organisation on the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh for the 2024 general election.
The statement holds significance given the SP’s declaration that it will be a major player within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, and would decide on seat distribution in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking with The Hindu, U.P. Congress leaders said Mr. Rai clearly meant that the grand old party is strengthening itself to make sure the Opposition alliance emerges victorious.
“What the State president meant is that we are relying on any party’s ‘mercy’ and aim to strengthen our organisational structure on all the 80 seats in the State,” said Anil Yadav, U.P. Congress organisation secretary.
When queried regarding the prevailing tension between the SP and the Congress over MP affecting the newly formed coalition in U.P., Mr. Yadav said, “As far as Madhya Pradesh seat sharing is concerned the central leadership and Madhya Pradesh Congress Unit will decide, how we should go ahead. We hope that everyone will support us in defeating the BJP in that State.”
“We want to fight on as many seats as possible under INDIA bloc,” added Mr. Yadav referring to the Parliamentary election slated for 2024.
Earlier, amid talks over seat sharing in Madhya Pradesh almost failing, the SP trained its gun on Congress, adding that although the grand old party measured the SP’s strength in M.P., the roles would be reversed in U.P., with the SP having upper hand. SP president Akhilesh Yadav had also said that his party would not ask the INDIA bloc to give it seats, and will, instead, give seats to the alliance partners.
