MP Election: Congress Says 'Small Tussles Normal' After Akhilesh Yadav Claims 'Betrayal' Over Seat Distribution

Akhilesh Yadav accused the Congress of 'betrayal', saying if its partner in the I.N.D.I.A bloc didn't want to set aside seats for his party in Madhya Pradesh, it should have made that clear before.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Supriya Shrinate.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Playing down speculations of a rift with its partner in the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A, after the Samajwadi Party announced two more candidates for the November 17 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said differences over seat sharing are fairly commonplace in politics. Speaking to news agency PTI, she said her party respects the SP's misgivings over the sharing of seats in MP and would have every effort to accommodate their concerns and sort out differences, if any.

“I feel small tussles often take place during ticket distribution and it is very obvious. They (Samajwadi Party) are a part of I.N.D.I.A bloc and will try our best to convince them," Shrinate told PTI.

VIDEO | "I feel small tussles often happen during ticket distribution and it is very obvious. They (Samajwadi Party) are a part of INDIA alliance and will try our best to convince them," says Congress leader @SupriyaShrinate as Samajwadi Party announces candidates for MP polls.… pic.twitter.com/S3QWdiB01y

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 20, 2023

Earlier in the day, SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav accused the Congress of 'betrayal', saying if its partner in the I.N.D.I.A bloc didn't want to set aside seats for his party in Madhya Pradesh, it should have made that clear before.

“If Congress didn't want to give seats (in MP), then they should have said it before. Today, SP is fighting only on seats where it has its own organisation. Now after Madhya Pradesh, I know that the I.N.D.I.A bloc is for the (parliamentary) elections on a national level. If Congress continues to behave like this, then who will trust them? If we fight with confusion in mind against the BJP, then we won't succeed,” ANI quoted Akhilesh Yadav as saying.

#WATCH | After alleging Congress of "betrayal" Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says, "If Congress didn't want to give seats (in MP), then they should have said it before. Today, SP is fighting only on seats where it has its own organisation. Now after
Madhya Pradesh, I know… pic.twitter.com/YGw4pB4LjC

— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2023

The SP on Friday announced its third list of two candidates for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. With its third list, SP has named 33 candidates for the state polls so far.

The SP named Rajendra Prasad Patel and Pushpendra Kumar Ahirwar from Churhat in Sidhi and Chandla (SC reserved) constituency in Chhatarpur district respectively.

According to PTI, insiders from both parties said that the Congress had apparently agreed to leave six seats for Samajwadi Party in Madhya Pradesh. However, that did not materialise.