Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that he will only join Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra after the seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh is finalised with the Congress.
“Seat-sharing talks are underway. We have sent them our list and received one from them as well. Samajwadi Party will join their Nyay Yatra as soon as the seat-sharing is finalised,” Akhilesh said speaking to reporters on Monday.
The remarks assume significance in view of the deadlock between the Congress and SP on the distribution of seats between the two INDIA bloc partners ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Jayant Chaudhary’s exit from the Opposition alliance makes a decision on the UP seat-sharing all the more crucial for the INDIA bloc.
Earlier this year, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the Trinamool Congress will not ally with the Congress in her state. The Congress is facing similar trouble in Punjab and Delhi where the Aam Aadmi Party appears unwilling to grant Congress its desired number of seats.
The SP chief’s refusal to join Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which will enter the Congress leader’s erstwhile seat of Amethi shortly, comes weeks after the SP unilaterally announced 11 seats in UP for the Congress. The grand old party, however, has maintained that talks were still underway.
Notably, Akhilesh had earlier accepted an invitation by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to join the Yatra either in Raebareli or Amethi. But with the continuing deadlock on seat-sharing, Akhilesh made his appearance at the Yatra conditional to a decision on the seat-sharing with Congress.