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  India   All India  18 Jan 2017  Samajwadi Party-Congress pact in days

Samajwadi Party-Congress pact in days

THE ASIAN AGE.
Published : Jan 18, 2017, 1:34 am IST
Updated : Jan 18, 2017, 7:46 am IST

Both parties hint at a ‘maha gathbandhan’ against the BJP in UP.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. (Photo: PTI)
 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The “maha gathbandhan” or grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh is all set to take shape with the Congress taking the first step on Tuesday to claim that it has decided to tie up with the Samajwadi Party and that the formation of the alliance would be announced in a couple of days.

In Lucknow, state chief minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed the sentiment, saying the decision on an alliance with the Congress would be taken “in a day or two”.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary in-charge of UP, said that he was “confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh.”

The Congress’ chief ministerial face in UP, Shiela Dikshit, bowed out of the race in favour of the alliance and for the “greater good”.

“I would like to gracefully withdraw. We can’t have two chief ministerial candidates,” Ms Dikshit said on Tuesday.

Following Mr Yadav’s victory in getting the party symbol, bicycle, and the alliance with the Congress now turning into a reality, the BJP played the dynasty card and called it an alliance between “two princes” (Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav).

“Coming together of the SP and the Congress shows the desperation of Akhilesh Yadav, who smells defeat… Akhilesh along Rahul Gandhi and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary are coming together to promote their family rule,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

The RLD is waiting in the wings to join the grand alliance.

The SP is expected to offer to nearly 135 seats to all its allies, which include other smaller outfits.

Of the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress might be able to get around 100, while the RLD could be offered nearly 25. Chief minister’s uncle  and  close  aide  Ram Gopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad are holding parleys over seat sharing.

The grand alliance this time around marks a new chapter in Indian politics as it will be the next generation of leaders who will be taking on the BJP and the BSP.

While Akhilesh Yadav would lead the charge, he would be flanked by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and RLD leader Jayant Chowdhury. Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple and Rahul Gandhi’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would share the platform.

This formidable combination has spooked the saffronites, who are now pointing fingers at the BJP high command for its “failure” to project a “credible” face as the chief ministerial candidate.

Tags: samajwadi party, congress, akhilesh yadav, rahul gandhi