Lucknow:
Samajwadi Party will join Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday afternoon, a day after the two agreed on 63-17 seat sharing of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh Yadav is expected to attend the Agra rally.
The deal – the first major agreement between India Bloc members, who had until then struggled to agree on seat-sharing terms – followed a firm final offer from the SP, which said it would stand by its That would give the ally only 15 seats, and it would otherwise not be included in the Rahul Gandhi-led pan-India yatra.
Akhilesh Yadav had said, “We have held several rounds of discussions… exchanged several lists. When the seats are distributed (then) the Samajwadi Party will participate in his yatra.”
Read | Akhilesh Yadav’s offer of 15 seats to Congress and condition of travel
The Congress visit, now in its second month, has become both a rallying point and a test of unity for the opposition after invitations were rejected by two senior political figures – Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee. Which underlines the internal tension. Group.
Ms Banerjee also criticized the Yatra, accusing the Congress of disrespecting her.
“They are coming to my state… but they did not show me the courtesy to inform me, even though I am part of the India block. So as far as Bengal is concerned, there is no relation with me,” he told reporters. Is.”
Read | “No alliance with Congress”: Mamata’s Bengal twist stuns India
Nitish Kumar has since pushed his Janata Dal (United) to form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, while Ms Banerjee has made it clear that she is not willing to share seats with the Congress or any Indian party. Are.
Therefore, the prospects of the third top opposition leader not attending the visit may not have gone well for the Congress or the Indian faction – a factor that would have played a big role in the national party agreeing to a deal with the Samajwadi Party. Due to this it has become a minority partner.
The Congress could not afford to see any third Indian member ousted; NDTV believes that apart from JDU, Jayant Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal will be out of the alliance in western UP.
Read | “There was limited time to take a decision…”: RLD leader on BJP switch discussion
Whatever the circumstances behind the deal, the alliance has ensured that it is a good week for India.
Read | After Delhi, AAP-Congress deal in Goa, Haryana, Gujarat: Sources
The Aam Aadmi Party’s victory in the Chandigarh mayor’s post – in alliance with the Congress – and the seat-share agreement between the two in Delhi and other states suggest that things are finally looking up.
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click the link To get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
