The SP and the Congress had joined hands in the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, but were defeated by the BJP. In the Lok Sabha elections held two years later, the Congress was out of the SP-BSP alliance in the state.
Kolkata:
Samajwadi Party (SP) Expressing confidence of the opposition alliance taking shape in the coming days, BJP president Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday that regional parties will play an important role in the fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, on the role of the Congress in this proposed opposition front, Yadav said it is for the grand old party to decide. Yadav said in an interview to ‘PTI Video’, “Efforts are on to form an opposition alliance or front.” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (on their own) are trying. I am confident that in the coming days, an opposition alliance will take shape, which will fight against the BJP.
“Congress itself will decide its role”
To a question, Akhilesh Yadav said, “Congress is non-existent in many states as compared to BJP, but regional parties are fighting with all their might against BJP and I hope they will be successful.” On regional parties like Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) wanting to include Congress in the opposition alliance, Yadav said they are already in alliance with the grand old party. “It is a question of a bigger fight and the Congress itself will decide its role in this fight,” he said. Asked who would be the face of the opposition camp in the next Lok Sabha polls, Yadav said it would be decided after the polls. And right now it is “not a proper question”.
“SP workers are being killed in Amethi”
Without taking the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Akhilesh Yadav said, “You are talking about the face. What about the face (of BJP) in 2014 and 2019, who made false promises to win elections? Asked whether his party would contest the Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, which are considered Congress strongholds, Yadav alleged that SP workers were being killed in Amethi. He said, “Our workers are being killed in Amethi. Samajwadi Party workers are asking who will fight for them. The socialist workers there are supporting each other. Congress workers are not coming in our support.” The SP and the Congress had joined hands in the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, but lost to the BJP. In the Lok Sabha elections held two years later, the Congress was out of the SP-BSP alliance in the state.