Samajwadi party assures Congress of respect in 2024 LS seat sharing

LUCKNOW: In a recent development, Akhilesh Yadav, the national president of the Samajwadi Party (SP), has affirmed that the Congress will not be left disappointed in the upcoming seat-sharing arrangements in Uttar Pradesh for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

After a meeting of the state executive committee on October 31, the SP signaled its intention to contest 65 out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Yadav, while attending an event in Saharanpur, also clarified that the alliance between the two parties would be limited to parliamentary elections and not extended to state assembly polls.

He stated, “In all the alliances the Samajwadi Party has entered into so far, it has been its effort to give full respect to its members. Today, I am saying this in front of you, none of the alliance members were disappointed with SP earlier, and nor will they be disappointed in the future.”

During a meeting of its state executive committee in Lucknow on Wednesday, the SP, a key component of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) of opposition parties, indicated its intention to contest on 65 seats, leaving the remaining seats for its allies.

SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary confirmed the party’s plan to contest on 65 seats, while also emphasising the need to prepare for all 80 seats.

Yadav expressed confidence in the alliance’s strategy, stating, “Only our alliance and the PDA (‘pichhra, Dalit, and alpsankhyak’) strategy will defeat the NDA, as they have betrayed the people of the PDA.”