LUCKNOW: Irked by a ‘shabby treatment’ by Congress in Madhya Pradesh over alliance for the assembly polls, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said his party would extend a ‘tit for tat’ response to the grand old party in UP during seat-sharing talks for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Akhilesh asked the Congress leadership to stop their ‘petty’ leaders in MP from making frivolous statements and accused them of hobnobbing with the BJP.
Akhilesh’s outburst has evoked mixed reactions in the political circles. While some see it as a sign of how loosely the opposition bloc has been tied together, others see it as a wake-up call before the big battle next year.
What has left Akhilesh agitated is the claim by Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh – that the opposition bloc has only come together for Lok Sabha polls and their alliance does not extend to state elections. Akhilesh questioned the basis on which the two Congressmen were making such claims when they weren’t present at any of the INDIA meetings.
“It means that I’ve failed to gather what was discussed at INDIA meetings” Akhilesh said, adding that Congress’ leadership should keep their state leaders informed about discussions at the top level. “Else they should stop these ‘chirkut’ (petty) leaders from making frivolous statements,” he said. “These leaders are hand in glove with BJP in MP.”
“Jaisa vyavhar hoga yahan Samajwadi ke saath, waisa vyavhar unko dekhne ko milega (The way they are treating us here (in MP polls), the same treatment will be meted out to them (Congress) in UP for Lok Sabha polls),” the SP chief said.
Akhilesh’s outburst has evoked mixed reactions in the political circles. While some see it as a sign of how loosely the opposition bloc has been tied together, others see it as a wake-up call before the big battle next year.
What has left Akhilesh agitated is the claim by Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh – that the opposition bloc has only come together for Lok Sabha polls and their alliance does not extend to state elections. Akhilesh questioned the basis on which the two Congressmen were making such claims when they weren’t present at any of the INDIA meetings.
“It means that I’ve failed to gather what was discussed at INDIA meetings” Akhilesh said, adding that Congress’ leadership should keep their state leaders informed about discussions at the top level. “Else they should stop these ‘chirkut’ (petty) leaders from making frivolous statements,” he said. “These leaders are hand in glove with BJP in MP.”
“Jaisa vyavhar hoga yahan Samajwadi ke saath, waisa vyavhar unko dekhne ko milega (The way they are treating us here (in MP polls), the same treatment will be meted out to them (Congress) in UP for Lok Sabha polls),” the SP chief said.