Amid challenges faced by the INDIA bloc in Bihar, West Bengal, and Punjab, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has stated that the responsibility of keeping the Opposition alliance intact lies with the Congress. As Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reportedly on the verge of returning to the BJP-led NDA, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will contest the Lok Sabha elections independently, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has declared that the party will contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Akhilesh Yadav emphasized that it is the Congress’s responsibility to bring together these smaller parties, particularly urging them to persuade Mamata Banerjee. He expressed hope that Nitish Kumar would not return to the NDA but instead strengthen the INDIA bloc. Akhilesh Yadav mentioned the formation of a promising alliance in Uttar Pradesh, emphasizing that it is not merely based on the distribution of seats but on the collective objective of winning.
Regarding the ongoing seat-sharing negotiations in Uttar Pradesh, where the SP is a key player along with the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Akhilesh Yadav mentioned that the alliance’s strategy for seat distribution is centered on winnability. The SP leader also commented on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex, describing it as a conspiracy to divert attention from the government’s failures on issues like unemployment, inflation, and farmers, and an attempt to disrupt social harmony.
Earlier in the day, SP national secretary and spokesperson Rajeev Rai criticized the Congress leadership, particularly addressing party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning their role in the current state of the INDIA bloc. Rai raised concerns about statements made by Congress leaders in various states against strong partners of the INDIA alliance and urged introspection on whether the Congress is weakening the alliance in the name of elections and yatra. He urged the Congress leaders to consider the consequences of such actions on the alliance.
