LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party President, Akhilesh Yadav’s decision on Tuesday to skip Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Rae Bareli has halted further seat sharing negotiations of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh.
Yadav had hinted at this possibility on Monday, stating he wouldn’t join the Nyay Yatra until a seat-sharing agreement with Congress was finalised.
Highly-placed sources revealed that the stalemate persisted due to disagreements, notably over key constituencies like Moradabad in western UP. Congress is reportedly insisting on Moradabad, but SP, with its sitting MP Dr. ST Hassan from the Muslim-dominated seat, is unwilling to concede.
Additionally, SP sources allege that Congress is pushing for other strongholds like Ballia, with the demand for Ballia being made for UPCC chief Ajai Rai. SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury stated that talks between the two parties were ongoing, expressing hope for a resolution soon. Similarly, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal in Delhi mentioned that the negotiations were in their final stages, hinting at a positive outcome.
Previously, Yadav had offered 17 seats to Congress, while Congress demanded the 21 seats it won in the 2009 general elections. The 17 seats offered included bastions like Amethi, Rae Bareli, and others. Failing to elicit a response from Congress by Tuesday, Yadav released another candidate list, which included Varanasi, one of the 17 seats offered to Congress.
Swami Prasad Maurya quits SP, MLC post
A week after tendering his resignation from the post of Samajwadi Party national general secretary, Swami Prasad Maurya on Tuesday resigned from the party’s primary membership and the MLC post and announced formation of a new party.