Akhilesh Yadav’s Chhattisgarh trip exerts pressure on Congress

Even as the opposition gears up for the Lok Sabha elections with the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, tensions appear to be mounting within its ranks. The Samajwadi Party (SP), a leading opposition party from Uttar Pradesh, is increasingly challenging the Congress.
With crucial state assembly elections looming in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh – where Congress and BJP are directly pitted against each other – SP’s increasing presence might pose a challenge for the Congress. Strains between SP and Congress have intensified since the recent by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Akhilesh Yadav, the SP chief, is set to visit Chhattisgarh on 25th September, where he will address a public meeting in Raipur and also strategize with state-level workers for the upcoming elections. The SP is believed to be preparing to contest on 40 seats in the Chhattisgarh assembly. Despite forming an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections, SP is likely to field close to 40 candidates for the state elections. Given this, Yadav’s move may pose challenges for Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh. Although SP fielded 17 candidates in the 2018 Chhattisgarh elections, none reached the winning mark. The claim of fielding 40 candidates this time around can be seen as a political pressure tactic.
SP is not just focusing on Chhattisgarh, but also has plans for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Historically, in Chhattisgarh, the party has faced defeats, despite contesting elections for several years. Akhilesh Yadav’s decision to start his campaign from this state underscores this point. In 2003, the SP contested on a maximum of 52 out of 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh, securing only about 1.57% of the vote share. However, in 2018, the party contested 17 seats and failed to even secure 1% of the votes.
While SP is looking to extend its footprint in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Congress has high hopes for these states. After a close defeat in the last Madhya Pradesh assembly election, the Congress aims to prevent vote splits and subsequent seat losses in these closely fought contests. Political analysts suggest that in view of the current political scenario, the SP is trying to exert pressure on Congress over seat-sharing. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, SP also aims to gauge the extent to which Congress will uphold the alliance spirit.