LUCKNOW: Seeking to rely more on a third front than entering an alliance led by Congress to take on the BJP in the big battle of 2024, the Samajwadi Party will set the tone for the general election exploring its role in stitching an anti-BJP, anti-Congress front at its two-day national executive due to begin in Kolkata on Saturday.
The Samajwadis seem to be reluctant to be a part of any alliance led by Congress at the national level. This could be inferred from the recent statements of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who made his intention clear about candidates in the Gandhi family bastions of Rae Bareli and Amethi in 2024.
Until recently, the SP and Congress had the unspoken understanding of leaving each other’s pocket boroughs uncontested. While SP did not field candidates in Rae Bareli and Amethi for so many elections, Congress responded in kind in Mulayam Singh Yadav’s constituency Mainpuri and any seat from where Akhilesh would contest.
Last week, the SP chief, during his visit to Amethi, had appealed to the people not to vote for VIPs who had “ruined” the constituency. “Despite electing political bigwigs for so many years, Amethi has not received its due. This time, the people of Amethi will elect a candidate with a large heart as we promise growth here,” Akhilesh said while talking to the media.
In the recent past, Akhilesh has been visiting non-BJP, non-Congress-ruled states to attend events organised by opposition parties to consolidate the efforts of cobbling up a third front against the BJP.
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