We will leave 2 seats for Congress, says Akhilesh Yadav on Lok Sabha poll plan

The Congress has been out of power in the state for the past 29 years, gradually ceding space to the two regional parties – SP and BSP.

In a snub to the Congress, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said that not more than two seats would be left for the party in the SP-BSP alliance plan for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference in Bhopal on July 19, 2018. (Mujeeb Faruqui/HT File Photo)

“We will leave two seats for Congress but won’t say anything on whether it will be on board or not,” the former chief minister said.

He was speaking in Kannauj at #ChaupalOnTwitter, an initiative to encourage conversation between leaders and the community. Twitter India and several leaders have partnered to launch the initiative.

The Congress has been out of power in the state for the past 29 years, gradually ceding space to the two regional parties – SP and BSP.

With the two Uttar Pradesh parties set to announce their alliance in Lucknow on Saturday, the SP leader played down the role of the Congress, which seems to be gearing up for a solo show in the state.

“As of now the alliance is only of SP and BSP. Roles of any other will be decided later,” the former chief minister said.

 Mayawati and Yadav are in the final stages of forging an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls leaving out the Congress.

Earlier, SP vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda had said his party, together with the BSP, is strong enough to defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh in 2019 and there is no need of an “insignificant” force like the Congress to make it happen.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, upbeat after winning Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, exuded confidence about his party’s prospects in the state and said that the Congress had the ability to surprise people with results in Uttar Prdaesh.

In a recent interview to Gulf News, he said, “There are very interesting things that the Congress party can do in Uttar Pradesh... the Congress idea is very powerful for Uttar Pradesh. So, we are very confident of our ability in Uttar Pradesh and we will surprise people,” he said.

The politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. In the last parliamentary elections in 2014, the BJP won 71 seats, Samajwadi Party got five while the BSP did not win any seat. The Congress registered wins on two seats.significant” force like the Congress to make it happen.