Review of by-poll preparations: UP Congress sending AICC secys to 10 constituencies

UPCC general secretary (organisation) Anil Yadav said the AICC secretaries were going for review of poll preparations to ensure that the candidates of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (INDIA bloc partners) won the by-polls.

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Congress is sending AICC secretaries to 10 assembly constituencies to get feedback about the political situation and names of possible candidates amid reports that the grand old party and the Samajwadi Party are still holding talks for seat sharing for the by-poll in the coming months.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Rai said the the AICC secretaries’ visit had nothing to do with seat-sharing with the Samajwadi Party. (HT FILE)

The Congress is asking for five out of 10 seats. The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, appears willing to offer only two out of 10 seats.

Those aware of the developments said AICC secretary Pradeep Narwal, along with party MP Imran Masood, visited Meerapur assembly constituency of Muzaffarnagar on Monday. Narwal is set to visit Ghaziabad this week. AICC secretary Satyanarayan Patel will visit Katehri (Ambedkar Nagar) and Milkipur (Ayodhya) assembly constituencies while AICC secretary Rajendra Tiwari is being sent to Majhwa (Mirzapur) and Phoolpur (Prayagraj). The Congress leaders will soon visit Karhal (Mainpuri), Shishamau (Kanpur Nagar) Khair (Aligarh) and Kundarki (Moradabad) constituencies.

“AICC secretaries are going to 10 assembly seats which will go to by-polls. Their visit has nothing to do with seat -sharing. We are staking claim to contest five out of 10 seats. We will contest the polls in alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the seat-sharing is yet to be given a final shape,” said Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Rai.

UPCC general secretary (organisation) Anil Yadav said the AICC secretaries were going for review of poll preparations to ensure that the candidates of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (INDIA bloc partners) won the by-polls.

It may be mentioned that the Samajwadi Party had its MLAs in five of the 10 seats. The BJP (including RLD and NISHAD Party held the remaining five seats. The by-elections to nine of the 10 seats have been necessitated following the election of sitting MLAs to Lok Sabha in 2024 polls. The by-election to Shishamau assembly seat has been caused following disqualification of Samajwadi Party MLA Hazi Irfan Solanki who has been awarded seven-year imprisonment in a case by the MP/MLA court.