'SP Has Ensured Congress-Mukt UP': BJP Mocks Oppn After Akhilesh Yadav's 'Cycle' Move For Bypolls

The BJP has mocked the INDIA bloc, claiming that the Samajwadi Party has ensured a Congress-free state by allocating the 'cycle' symbol to all the alliance candidates.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday took a jab at the INDIA bloc, saying that the Samajwadi Party had ensured a Congress-mukt (Congress-free) Uttar Pradesh. The BJP said that the Opposition INDIA bloc had developed rifts and the constituent parties were not in agreement on the seat-sharing formula for the Uttar Pradesh byelections.

Pointing to internal rifts ahead of the upcoming byelections in Uttar Pradesh, BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok said the situation was a "wake-up call" for the Congress.

After weeks of stalled discussions on seat-sharing, the Samajwadi Party (SP), led by Akhilesh Yadav, recently allocated only two seats to its national ally. On Wednesday night, the SP declared that all INDIA Bloc candidates would contest the by-elections under the SP’s ‘Bicycle’ symbol. The Congress has yet to issue a formal response to this.

Speaking to IANS, Ajay Alok mocked the alliance, calling it opportunistic and claiming its true nature has now been exposed. 

“They talked about creating a BJP-free country, but Samajwadi Party has turned Uttar Pradesh into a Congress-free zone. The Congress needs to reflect on its standing within this coalition," Alok remarked.

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi, too, made the "Congress-mukt UP" jibe. He said: "The slogan of 'Congress Mukt' was given by the BJP, but Akhilesh Yadav is working to realise it in Uttar Pradesh. He has declared that the Samajwadi Party will contest the by-elections under the cycle symbol. Now, the Congress finds itself empty-handed, and their 'hand' symbol will remain ineffective."

He blamed the Congress itself for its downfall. Pointing to its "behaviour towards the Samajwadi Party in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana", Tripathi said: "Today, the Samajwadi Party has returned the favour with a significant setback to Congress, reminiscent of Mulayam Singh Yadav's strategy. Congress is now so desperate that it is settling for five seats without even contesting elections."

Nine assembly seats in total are scheduled for the UP bypolls on November 13. These include Meerapur, Khair, Katehari, Sisamau, Majhawan, Ghaziabad, Kundarki, Karhal, and Phulpur. These seats will go to polls on November 13. However, the date for the Milkipur seat has not been set, as an election-related petition is still pending in court.

In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and Samajwadi Party had joined forces, achieving one of their best performances in Uttar Pradesh. Congress won six seats, while the SP claimed 37.