‘Don’t Create Confusion’: Akhilesh, Mayawati Snub Congress’ Offer

Akhilesh Yadav, said that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh is capable of defeating BJP in the state.

The Congress on Sunday, 17 March, announced it will leave seven seats for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in UP.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati on Monday, 18 March, brushed aside the Congress’ offer of seven seats to the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls.

Akhilesh Yadav said the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh is capable of defeating the BJP in the state, and that Congress must refrain from creating any confusion, reported ANI.

Meanwhile, Mayawati in her tweets, snubbed the Congress and said, “ Congress is free to contest all 80 seats of UP and our alliance is perfectly capable of defeating the BJP on its own.”

Stressing that her party has no interest to tie-up with Congress, in Uttar Pradesh or from anywhere in India, she said, “Our people should not fall into the trap of Congress's daily lies and attempts to create confusion."

The Congress on Sunday, 17 March announced it will not contest on seven seats in UP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and leave them for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the state.

“We are leaving seven seats vacant for SP, BSP and RLD. These include Mainpuri, Kannauj, Firozabad and whatever seats Mayawati ji and RLD's Jayant ji and Ajit Singh contest from,” UP Congress chief Raj Babbar announced while addressing the media.

The party will also leave two seats of Gonda and Pilibhit for Apna Dal faction.

The decision is being seen as returning the favour of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance that decided not to contest from Congress bastions Amethi and Rai Bareli in the state.

The party also reached an agreement with the Jan Adhikar party (JAP) for seven seats.

“We have reached an agreement on seven seats. Out of those seven, JAP will fight on five and we will fight on two,” he said.

The Congress was left out of the ‘mahagathbandhan’ in UP after Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav joined hands to form an alliance for the 2019 elections. The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) joined the alliance later.

The Congress then decided to contest on its own in the state on all 80 seats. The Congress party released its first list on 7 March, declaring the candidature of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from Rai Bareli and Congress President Rahul Gandhi from Amethi.

(With inputs from ANI)