Lucknow: In a significant setback ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh encountered a major hurdle as seat-sharing negotiations between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress has almost collapsed.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the SP and Congress failed to reach an agreement on the allocation of seats, leading to an impasse in their alliance talks.
Bone of contention
Sources say bone of contention is three seats of Amroha, Bijnore and Moradabad which Congress is asking for while SP is reluctant to part with them.
While there has been no official confirmation of the alliance coming to an end, the inability to finalize seat sharing is viewed as a deadlock between the two parties.
"I have not received any communication from the Samajwadi Party, so I cannot comment on whether the alliance is terminated. The final call is to be taken by high command" remarked Congress State President Ajai Rai.
Earlier, the Samajwadi Party had proposed to allocate 17 seats to the Congress, following an initial offer of 11 seats. However, talks hit a snag after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav withdrew the offer, reportedly due to dissatisfaction with the ongoing negotiations.
Congress alliance with BSP?
There is speculation within the SP that the Congress may be inclined towards forming an alliance with the BSP, fueling suspicions of the Congress seeking grounds to sever ties with the SP.
"Some within the Samajwadi Party view this as a favorable outcome. The Congress, they argue, is unreliable and demanding beyond its capacity," commented a senior SP leader. He added, "Congress was seeking more than it could deliver."
While some saner voices within the SP advocate for maintaining the alliance, emphasizing its necessity in the current political landscape, others criticize the Congress's demands, particularly in constituencies with a significant Muslim population.
"Why Congress is asking for Moradabad. In last elections, SP got 1.40 lakh votes while Congress just 42,000," said a senior SP leader.
Sources indicate that the SP had offered constituencies including Amethi, Rae Bareli, Varanasi, and others to the Congress, but the latter's response to the latest offer of 17 seats remains pending.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party released its second list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, including prominent names like Harendra Malik from Muzaffarnagar and Afzal Ansari from Ghazipur.
