New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday targeted the Congress by calling it a "cunning" party and urged the voters in Madhya Pradesh not to trust it.
Interestingly, Yadav, who is also part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, further claimed that the grand old party wants a caste-based census in the country only for the sake of votes.
Differences emerged between the Samajwadi Party and Congress over seat-sharing in the poll-bound state, with the Congress party not leaving any seats for the SP in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.
Addressing a public rally, Yadav said, "If you are getting nothing as ration, then why will you vote for BJP? Do not even vote for Congress, they are a very cunning party...If Congress can cheat on us...Congress wants caste-based census for the sake of votes."
Earlier, Yadav had claimed that the Congress leaders had said they were considering leaving six constituencies for SP nominees in a seat-sharing agreement in that state, but they did not concede even one.
He had warned Congress that it would have to face the same when seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh will be discussed for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The I.N.D.I.A grouping came into being primarily to put up a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
However, on Friday, Yadav said that members of the I.N.D.I.A bloc will not be disappointed and will be given proper honour and respect, after the party indicated that it would contest 65 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 polls
He had also said it is now clear that there will be an alliance only in the parliamentary elections, not in state assembly polls.