On SP backing AAP over Congress for Delhi election, Akhilesh Yadav says this

The Samajwadi Party, AAP, and the Congress are part of the INDIA bloc, including other regional heavyweights like the TMC, DMK, and Shiv Sena (UBT).

Published on: Jan 15, 2025, 17:56:10 IST

By HT News Desk

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Wednesday that his party is supporting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over Congress in Delhi as the former is in a stronger position to beat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming assembly election.

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav at their joint press conference. (file) (HT Print)

Explaining the decision, Akhilesh Yadav said that strengthening the hands of regional parties wherever they are in a stronger position to fight the BJP is the basic principle behind the formation of the INDIA bloc.

Also read | How allies banded to back AAP, not Congress

“We must support whichever party is strong and in a position to give a fight to BJP. In Delhi, AAP and Congress are facing each other... My advice is AAP is strong so we should all support it. After all, our common goal is the defeat of BJP, whether it is Congress, Samajwadi Party or AAP,” Yadav said.

The Samajwadi Party, AAP, and the Congress are part of the INDIA bloc, which also includes other regional heavyweights like the TMC in West Bengal and the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Also read | 'Never wanted INDIA bloc to dissolve': Shiv Sena UBT

The Kannauj MP asserted that the unity among INDIA bloc parties is intact. “The INDIA alliance is intact. I remember when the alliance was being formed, Nitish Kumar had talked to leaders of all parties, including ours. He had said at the time that we should strengthen the hands of a regional party wherever it is strong. AAP is strong in Delhi, so we support it,” Yadav clarified.

The SP chief attributed the BJP's political motives to the Home Ministry's prosecution action against Kejriwal over the alleged scam linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. “Wherever they are in power, they rule dictatorially,” he said.

Also read | ‘Wind up alliance’: Omar Abdullah on Tejashwi Yadav's ‘INDIA bloc limited to 2024 polls’ remark

INDIA bloc unity

Questions of alliance unity emerged within the INDIA bloc after alliance partners TMC and the SP backed the AAP over Congress for the Delhi assembly elections.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), an INDIA bloc ally, decided to go solo in the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country’s richest civic body.

Alliance leaders Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Sharad Pawar of the NCP(SCP) said recently that the anti-BJP alliance was meant to fight only national elections.

(With PTI inputs)

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HT News Desk
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