Akhilesh-Mayawati's alliance decision is political: Rahul Gandhi
Dubai, Jan 12 (IBNS): Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the decision taken by the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to form an alliance without the country's oldest outfit in Uttar Pradesh is a political one.
Congress president Rahul, who is presently in Dubai, made the comment hours after arch-rivals, SP and BSP, stitched a pre-poll alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming General Elections.
Rahul said: "I respect Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati's decision. It is a political decision. They must have taken the decision with a clear thought."
He also said the Congress will have to stand on its own feet in Uttar Pradesh, which is the country's most populous state.
Not uttering a single bitter word against Akhilesh and Mayawati, the chiefs of SP and BSP respectively, who on Saturday criticised the Congress over Bofors and other issues, Rahul said: "They have said something ill about the Congress also. I accept it as this is our party's way. We will try to establish Congress' ideology in Uttar Pradesh."
Overlook of SP-BSP alliance:
Out of 80 Lok Sabha seats, the SP and BSP will fight in 38 seats each. Both the parties will not field any candidate in Amethi and Rae Bareli seats, which are traditionally the Congress' strongholds.
The SP and BSP will also not fight in two other seats, which have been left out for other regional parties.
Why SP-BSP left out Congress:
Citing the 1996 polls, Mayawati, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, clearly stated that the Congress does not transfer its votes to its allies.
The SP had experienced the same during the 2017 state polls, she added.
Why road to Delhi is through UP?
As Uttar Pradesh consists of 80 Lok Sabha seats, all political parties try to bag a huge number of seats from the state.
Last time in 2014 General Elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies had won 73 seats to pave the path for Narendra Modi to become the Prime Minister.
Modi himself had won from Varanasi constituency of the state.
Images: Congress and Akhilesh Yadav Twitter
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