In a fresh trouble for the INDIA bloc, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed that he had not got any invite for the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra for its Uttar Pradesh leg. The Congress was quick to clarify that the detailed route for the yatra will be shared with the allies in the State as soon as it is finalised, in a bid to clear any possible misunderstanding between the two parties.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Mr. Yadav, when asked about whether he will join the Congress’s yatra, said, “Many events are organised for which we don’t receive invitations. Why should we ask for an invitation?”
The yatra, which is currently in Jharkhand, is expected to enter Uttar Pradesh on February 14. Tagging a video of Mr. Yadav’s remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the detailed route and programme of the yatra in Uttar Pradesh will be finalised in a day or two. “After this it will be shared with the constituent parties of INDIA bloc in the State. Their participation in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will further strengthen the INDIA bloc. The Yatra is expected to enter Uttar Pradesh on the afternoon of February 16,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post in Hindi.
Mr. Yadav’s comments raise anxiety for the Congress, which is still recovering from a snub by Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has refused to cede any seats to the Congress. Mr. Ramesh, speaking at a press conference in Bokaro, Jharkhand, expressed confidence that the talks are still continuing with the TMC and could have a positive outcome.
Precarious position
The alliance is in a precarious position in Uttar Pradesh, where Mr. Yadav asserted that the seat division has been clinched with 11 seats for the Congress, but the Congress claims it is not yet final as it hopes for more. “We are ready to concede if they show a sincere will to fight and win. Let both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi contest, we will give them more seats,” a senior SP leader said.
The Yatra is in Jharkhand presently and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader and newly-elected Chief Minister Champai Soren participated in the yatra on February 2 as it entered the State. The JMM is part of the INDIA bloc. The yatra will traverse 6,713 km in 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15 States before culminating in Mumbai on March 20 or 21.
