Congress’ pain of losing alliance op in Uttar Pradesh bypoll comes out, Raj Babbar blames it on Akhilesh Yadav’s obstinacy

UPCC president Raj Babbar added that a Congress-SP alliance could have paved way to unite the entire opposition against the BJP.

Actor-politician Raj Babbar (File photo)

LUCKNOW: As the high-octane campaign for Gorakhpur and Phulpur Parliamentary seats ended on Friday, the biggest take away of this crucial bypoll -- the SP-BSP ‘give and take’ deal –left the Congress party exasperated more than any other political outfit including the BJP.

The pain of losing an opportunity of alliance with the Samajwadi Party in UP bypoll oozed out when UP Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Raj Babbar blamed SP national president Akhilesh Yadav for missing out on opposition unity. He claimed that owing to Akhilesh’s obstinacy, the opposition could not unite otherwise both the seats could have been snatched away from saffron kitty.

Sharing his part of the story, the state Congress chief said on Friday that his party was all prepared to ally with the Samajwadis for UP bypoll with the only condition that the two parties would contest one seat each. “But SP didn’t agree,” Babbar stated.

UPCC president Raj Babbar added that a Congress-SP alliance could have paved way to unite the entire opposition against the BJP. SP leadership, however, preferred a guarded silence over the proposal conveying its disinterest to the grand old party. Consequently, Congress felt to go it alone and take on the saffron forces.

He even accused the BSP of not paying any attention to the proposal. They reverted by saying that they did not contest the bypoll as per the party policy, maintained UPCC chief. He added that SP leadership was adamant at contesting both seats. However, Congress was indispensible as every strong political force needed its support in one way or the other, he averred.

Notably, reacting to SP-BSP barter deal under which blue brigade extended support to SP candidates in UP bypoll expecting the same from Samajwadis in RS polls, Babbar had termed it to be a deal of vested interests where no thought had gone for the people of Uttar Pradesh.

Babbar asserted that no other party but only Congress was capable of showing Modi-led BJP its right place in 2019 general elections. He claimed that all the secular parties would have to come under the umbrella of a grand alliance led by Congress if they wanted to rid the country of BJP rule. Otherwise it would be a tough task to defeat Narendra Modi.