Lok Sabha polls 2024: Akhilesh Yadav drops big hint on UP alliance with Congress

Lok Sabha polls news: Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, on Wednesday dismissed reports suggesting any friction in ties with the grand old Congress party. Yadav said that the alliance with the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh was on and there was no dispute with Rahul Gandhi. 

Reports suggesting that seat-sharing talks between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party fell through were doing the rounds on Tuesday. As per these reports, the two parties disagreed over the allocation of three critical seats in the Moradabad division. 

As per these reports, the Congress had also sought the Bijnor seat from the Samajwadi Party which the party not willing to concede.

"All is well that ends well... Yes, there will be an alliance. There is no conflict. Everything will be out and clear soon... All is well that ends well...," Yadav said as quoted by news agency ANI when asked about seat-sharing talks with the Congress and his absence from the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi and Rae Bareli. 

Earlier this week, the former Uttar Pradesh CM said he would join the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra only after seat-sharing with the Congress was finalised. "Discussions are ongoing. Lists are coming from both sides. Once the seat allocation is finalised, the Samajwadi Party will join the Congress' Nyay Yatra," Yadav said. 

Meanwhile, the state units of the Congress and Samajwadi Party are soon likely to formally announce the alliance. Sources told India Today that the Samajwadi Party has agreed to give 17-19 seats to the Congress in the country's most populous state as part of the seat-sharing agreement. 

According to the latest arrangement, the Samajwadi Party has given Congress the Sitapur seat instead of Hathras. The Congress previously submitted a list of 28 seats it wanted to contest in UP in the Lok Sabha elections.

Samajwadi Party candidates to watch out for

In a surprise move, the Samajwadi Party unilaterally announced candidates for 31 seats. On Tuesday, the party fielded senior leader and Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Shivpal Yadav from Budaun constituency. In Varanasi, Surendra Singh Patel has been fielded by the Samajwadi Party against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Iqra Hasan has been fielded in Kairana, Praveen Singh Aron in Bareilly and Ajendra Singh Rajput from Hamirpur. On Monday, the party announced 11 candidates, including gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari from Ghazipur, Ravidas Mehrotra from Lucknow, Shafiqur Rahman Barq from Sambhal, and Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri. 

Also Read: ‘Discussions are ongoing’: Akhilesh Yadav as uncertainty looms over participation in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra