Samajwadi Party MP from Pratapgarh, Shiv Pal Singh Patel, has targeted the INDIA bloc ally, Congress, claiming that Rahul Gandhi contested from Raebareli instead of Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections because he was "so scared".
Patel also claimed that without an alliance with SP, the Congress would not have won a single seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This comes as SP and Congress are locked in discussion over a seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, due early next year.
"Had there been no alliance, they wouldn't have won a single seat. It even reached a point where their top leader, Rahul Gandhi, was ready to give up his seat. He contested from elsewhere (Raebareli) instead of Amethi. He was so scared,” Patel told news agency PTI.
The MP said that it was SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who persuaded the now-leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha to contest the election.
"It was our national president who reassured and persuaded him, asking him to contest and warning that if he didn't, he (Akhilesh) would field his own candidate. Only then did Gandhi agree to contest. Otherwise, he was extremely reluctant to run for that traditional seat, the one said to belong to the Nehru family. Gandhi only managed to win it because of that persuasion," Patel said.
Patel says Congress won because of SP
{{/usCountry}}"It was our national president who reassured and persuaded him, asking him to contest and warning that if he didn't, he (Akhilesh) would field his own candidate. Only then did Gandhi agree to contest. Otherwise, he was extremely reluctant to run for that traditional seat, the one said to belong to the Nehru family. Gandhi only managed to win it because of that persuasion," Patel said.
Patel says Congress won because of SP
{{/usCountry}}Shiv Pal Singh Patel said the Samajwadi Party gave full support to the Congress, claiming that all SP votes on the seats allotted to the Congress went to the grand old party.
"That is precisely how they managed to win those six seats. We secured 37 seats. We are far ahead of Congress in every respect. They shouldn't ask for more than 50, and should feel happy. The Congress should cooperate, rather than making all sorts of absurd or negative remarks," he said.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party won 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh -- including the prestigious Faizabad parliamentary constituency, of which the temple town of Ayodhya is an integral part -- while its ally Congress won six seats. The BJP's tally was limited to 33 seats, and the NDA's to 36.
Currently, in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has two MLAs, while the Samajwadi Party has 101 MLAs.
"If we proceed with an alliance, we will certainly benefit. Even if it doesn't happen, we won't have any significant loss. But for them, the tally will drop to zero. I can say this with confidence: if they don't contest as part of an alliance, they will end up with zero seats. The public will realise they are fielding candidates solely to split votes. If they act as vote-spoilers, they will be reduced to zero," Patel said.
Congress hits back, Akhilesh intervenes
Reacting to Patel's comments, Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi told PTI, "The Samajwadi Party must work to rein in leaders who make such statements. It is because of the INDIA bloc that he (Patel) has become an MP. He should know his limits and avoid making statements like these."
Akhilesh Yadav issued a “gag order” to SP leaders on Saturday, directing them to keep their opinions on seat-sharing negotiations and the Congress strictly within internal party channels.
"I would like to tell all our leaders that whatever opinions or concerns they have regarding seat-sharing should be shared with us," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters at an event in Lucknow.
What Congress had demanded
Congress's Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Tuesday addressed the timeline for concluding seat-sharing talks with the Samajwadi Party in the state, stating that the party will attempt to finalise the discussions within October to give candidates time to prepare for the state Assembly elections.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Gautam emphasised that any seat-sharing arrangement must reflect a respectable share, as they are equal partners in the alliance. He said Congress has candidates available to contest all 403 Assembly seats in the State. The party would not contest fewer than 150 seats under the alliance arrangement, the state in charge emphasised.