Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav reportedly is just a step away towards packing the deal on the seat-sharing formula ahead of the Lok Sabha polls this year, said sources familiar with the development.
Reports about both join the forces in UP is taking round since December. Reports at that time also suggest that despite registering a resounding victory in the Hindi Heartland State, Congress could not make it to the proposed alliance in the state that sends 80 MPs to the lower House of the parliament.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav reportedly met Mayawati on Friday in New Delhi to propose the alliance; however, no official statement was made by any of the parties. Sources suggest that Official announcement is expected to be made on Jan 15, on the Mayawati’s Birthday.
As per the latest reports, SP and BSP have agreed to contest 37 Lok Sabha seats each while the remaining seats will be left for the Rashtriya Lok Dal and other smaller parties. However, The proposed alliance is expected to leave – Raebareli and Amethi – both stronghold of Congress Party. Congress President Rahul Gandhi represents Amethi in Lok Sabha while his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is the member of Parliament from Raebareli.
Reportedly both Yadav and Mayawati both held a meeting that lasted for about two hours during which the allotment of seats was decided. Both of them have also decided about the name of the candidates set to contest from key constituencies. Reports also claimed that both have also decided to contest on equal seats just to avoid any kind of dispute.
However, earlier there were reports about BSP holding a seat more than SP with 38:37 seats.
It should be noted that BSP in 2014 General Elections was totally wiped out and could not even won a single seat in the state. In State Polls of 2017, BSP was limited to just 19 seats. The General Elections 2019 is seen as a fight for existence for Bahujan Samaj Party.
On December 27, SP Leader Akhilesh Yadav hit back at Congress for not including party’s lone legislator in MP Government despite helping the Congress to reach the majority mark in the state. Former UP Chief Minister said to media, “Thanks to the Congress, they did not make our vidhayak (legislator) a minister” He added ‘by doing so, they have cleared the path for Uttar Pradesh indicating that party will not give a second thought for taking Congress in the proposed alliance in a run-up to Lok Sabha 2019.
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