With Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on the verge of forming an alliance without Congress to contest the upcoming general elections, the Rahul Gandhi-led party in Uttar Pradesh has started to gear up to go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2019 Polls, sources said as reported by ANI. Mayawati, Akhilesh to address joint press briefing today, likely to announce Alliance for 2019 general elections
The Congress alliance committee, along with the party leaders in Uttar Pradesh including Raj Babbar, P. L. Punia, Pramod Tiwari and General Secretary in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad, started this exercise in the state, sources further revealed.
Uttar Pradesh INC Chief Raj Babbar along with state other leaders are likely to meet in Lucknow on Sunday. The party is expected to hold 11 meetings in total in different districts across the state in coming days. “A formal announcement on fighting the elections alone will be taken after the Congress president (Rahul Gandhi) will return from Dubai,” the source stated.
Earlier on January 5, Congress dropped hints of ‘Ekla Chalo’ policy in UP, after SP-BSP look to corner in the coalition. Congress Senior Leader and Rajya Sabha MP PL Punia on Jan 5 said his party his ready to go ‘alone’ in the state that sends 80 parliamentarians to the Lower House of the Parliament, Lok Sabha. While talking to Media Punia said, “A coalition is not important. Our workers are ready. We have not spoken to anyone about an alliance.
PL Punia’s statement came on the backdrop of the meeting held between Samajwadi Party Leader Akhilesh Yadav and BSP Supremo Mayawati.
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.
Read: Lok Sabha Polls 2019: RLD calls for 6 seats in Uttar Pradesh Grand Alliance