Lucknow. Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Congress had jointly contested the Lok Sabha elections in UP, but now the stand of Akhilesh Yadav and Congress has diverged in the by-elections of 9 assembly seats in UP. Akhilesh Yadav has announced to field Samajwadi Party candidates on all 9 assembly seats by saying that ‘seat is not important, victory is important’. At the same time, Congress has probably decided to sit on the sidelines and watch the situation of UP by-elections.
According to media reports, Congress had asked for 4 seats including Majhwan from Akhilesh Yadav. At the same time, Akhilesh Yadav was ready to give Ghaziabad Sadar and Khair assembly seats to Congress. Quoting sources, the media has reported that Congress then reduced its demand to 3 seats, but Akhilesh Yadav did not agree. After this, Congress decided that it will not contest elections on any of the 9 assembly seats in UP. The main reason for this is that BJP is strong on the Ghaziabad Sadar and Khair seats which Akhilesh Yadav was offering to Congress and has been winning continuously. Congress said that it should be given seats like Majhwan, Phulpur.
Out of the 9 assembly seats for which by-elections are going to be held in UP, 4 were won by Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party in the 2022 assembly elections. BJP candidates were victorious on 3 seats. Whereas, at that time, 1 candidate from RLD, an ally of Samajwadi Party and now sitting in power with BJP, and 1 candidate from Nishad Party had won the election. This time there is news that BJP itself will contest the by-elections of 8 assembly seats and is going to leave 1 seat for RLD. At the same time, Sanjay Nishad, president of Nishad Party and minister of Yogi Adityanath government, is also demanding a seat for his party. Whether his wish is fulfilled or not, it will be known in the next few days.