Priyanka Gandhi has once again brokered a deal between her brother Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, just as it was done during the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. At that time, everything was decided at the last moment.
Before that, Congress had run a campaign against Akhilesh’s government in Uttar Pradesh for a full five year term. Rahul and Akhilesh had formed an alliance to contest the elections. SP had given Congress around 100 seats, and they fought in about 300 seats themselves. The result left both unsatisfied.
Congress managed to secure only 7 seats, and Akhilesh’s party couldn’t even cross the mark of 50. Since then, the struggle has continued. In the 2022 assembly elections, both were once again face-to-face. The result was such that Congress was restricted to 2 seats, while SP obtained more than 100 seats, achieving the status of the opposition.
However, the real challenge now lies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram’s idol in Ayodhya, Bharat Ratna for farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh, and the entry of Lok Dal into the politics of Uttar Pradesh has completely changed the political scenario. In this changed atmosphere, apart from a coalition agreement with Congress, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had no other option. Congress wanted some kind of agreement. But now the question is whether Congress will benefit from the alliance. Because most of the seats that Congress has got are the ones where BJP has consistently won. Except for Saharanpur, Raebareli, and Amethi, Congress is not in a position to compete on the remaining seats.
In Saharanpur, due to the adequate presence of Muslims and Dalits and the alliance with Chandra Shekhar Pran, the Congress may show strength in the competition. In Raebareli and Amethi, it will have to be seen where Rahul and Priyanka stand in the competition. If BSP does not field its candidates in these two seats, the contest will be interesting. In Amroha, if Congress has fielded a Muslim candidate, the contest will be interesting, but it may not win.
Anyway, there will be no shortage in spoiling the game of BSP’s alliance. As far as SP is concerned, it does not seem to gain any special advantage from coming with Congress. Opening the account in the Jat majority in western Uttar Pradesh is a big challenge for SP.