Speculations of the surging rifts in ‘The Mahagatbandhan’, as rumours about Nitish Kumar flipping to BJP has intensified, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav announced that the Congress party has been offered 11 seats in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as part of the INDIA alliance. However, sources indicate that the Congress leadership has not yet accepted this proposal.
Yadav expressed in a post on a social media platform, "Our cordial alliance with Congress is off to a good start with 11 strong seats. This trend will move forward with the winning equation. The 'India' team and the 'PDA' strategy will change history."
The chief spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party, Rajendra Chaudhary, informed that they have proposed 11 seats to the Congress for a coordinated effort to defeat the BJP. Additionally, Chaudhary mentioned that the party's leadership is maintaining ongoing communication with the Congress. Chaudhary clarified that the current offer of 11 seats is unlikely to be increased in the future.
However, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai mentioned that the decision on the matter will be made by the party's national leadership. Moreover, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh emphasised ongoing constructive talks between Ashok Gehlot and Akhilesh Yadav but assured that the final formula is yet to be decided.
Earlier reports suggested that the Congress aimed to contest 50 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. In response to Congress leaders rejecting the 11-seat alliance, the Samajwadi Party clarified that it was a proposal. The party stated that the seat count could be increased if Congress provides information to Akhilesh Yadav about candidates with higher winning potential.
Akhilesh Yadav, in an interview, expressed disappointment with the Congress's level of enthusiasm in engaging with the INDIA alliance, blaming them for the ongoing fissures within the bloc. The discord in Uttar Pradesh adds to recent setbacks for the Congress, with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab rejecting alliances for the 2024 polls.
As the seat-sharing talks continue, the alliance's focus remains on the 'PDA' strategy (People's Development Agenda) and the 'India' team, a 28-member opposition bloc. The alliance aims to present a formidable challenge to the BJP, which secured a significant victory in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The disagreement over the seat-sharing formula comes at a crucial time as Uttar Pradesh, with its 80 Lok Sabha seats, plays a pivotal role in national politics. In the 2019 elections, BJP secured a stunning number of 62 seats, with the SP-BSP alliance only securing 15 seats, and Congress managing to win mere one.
With general elections scheduled for April-May, the outcome of these negotiations will significantly shape the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh and impact the overall dynamics of the INDIA alliance.
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