The Samajwadi Party said on Saturday, 6 October, that it will no longer wait for the Congress to decide on an alliance for Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, suggesting it preferred Mayawati's BSP.
The SP's snub to the Congress comes just days after Mayawati ruled out any alliance between the BSP and the Congress for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh during Assembly elections. This move, which could take a hit at the opposition’s efforts to form an anti-BJP front before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
“The Congress has made us wait for too long. How much longer must we wait? We will now consult the Gondwana Gantantra party with which we had an alliance, and also the BSP, for the coming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.”Ankhilesh Yadav, President, Samajwadi Party
“Time is passing by and we cannot wait any longer,” Akhilesh Yadav told reporters on the sidelines of a party event.
According to an NDTV report, the SP then went on to annouce six names for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh elections.
Reacting to Yadav’s remark, the Congress said in New Delhi that it had not been planning an alliance with the SP in Madhya Pradesh in any case. But Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala added that there had been a possibility of an alliance with the BSP in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
On Wednesday, BSP supremo Mayawati had said her party will contest the Assembly polls on its own or in alliance with a regional party.
Mayawati had claimed that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi wanted an alliance but some "selfish” senior leaders in their party were out to foil any understanding.
Reacting to Mayawati's statement, Akhilesh Yadav had then urged the Congress to show large-heartedness by taking along other parties.
“If there is any delay, there is a possibility that other parties may declare their candidates. After this, there will be a leveling of allegations that they colluded with the BJP,” Akhilesh Yadav had said.
Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 28, the Election Commission announced on Saturday.
(With inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)