Akhilesh Yadav's SP Unveils Third List For LS Polls Amid Ongoing Seat Tussle With Congress

akhilesh yadavs sp unveils third list for lok sabha polls 2024 amid ongoing seat tussle with congress

In the latest turn of the ongoing political saga leading up to the Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) has presented its third list, unveiling candidates for five strategically significant constituencies. The list includes a candidate fielded from Varanasi, a constituency closely associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and four others contesting from Kairana, Badayun, Bareilly, and Hamirpur.

This development brings the total number of candidates declared by the SP to 32, building upon the party’s earlier announcements of 16 and 11 candidates in two preceding tranches. The latest list was disclosed unilaterally, a few hours after the SP made its final offer of 17 seats to the Congress, marking a substantial increase from the initial 11. This offer was made in response to Jayant Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal aligning with the NDA.

Despite the enhanced offer, the Congress, seeking one or two additional seats, is yet to deliver a response. Reflecting on the 2019 elections, the Congress had independently contested a considerable portion of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 seats, securing victory in only one – Sonia Gandhi’s Raebareli, down from the previous two. The setback also included Rahul Gandhi losing the family bastion of Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani.

The Samajwadi Party contends that anticipating improved results from the Congress this time may be unwarranted, with speculations suggesting potential setbacks, especially in the absence of Sonia Gandhi from the Lok Sabha elections, who is likely to enter the Rajya Sabha.

Additionally, the Samajwadi Party has momentarily suspended its decision to participate in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, currently making its way through Uttar Pradesh. The political dynamics in Uttar Pradesh are of paramount importance for the INDIA alliance, given that the state contributes the highest number of members to the Lok Sabha, followed by Maharashtra and Bengal – both grappling with unresolved seat-sharing discussions.

In Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her intent to go solo and postponed her decision on INDIA bloc membership until after the elections. This decision follows the Congress’s rejection of her offer for two seats. Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, negotiations remain at an impasse over eight seats, including Pune and two in Mumbai.