Akhilesh moderates attack on Congress; invokes Lohia and Mulayam

Akhilesh Yadav, following his initial reactions in the aftermath of the failed seat sharing talks with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, tempered his response on Saturday.

Akhilesh Yadav, following his initial reactions in the aftermath of the failed seat sharing talks with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, tempered his response on Saturday. The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief said he had received a message from the top brass of the Congress party and that he will adhere to it.

The SP chief did wonder why the grand old party held seat sharing talks in M.P. if they did not want to form an alliance. “Why did they hold meetings with us if they didn’t want to form a coalition [in Madhya Pradesh]. They could’ve told us that they don’t want to make an alliance at the State level but when the election takes place on the national level, an alliance will be formed,” said Mr. Yadav, while talking to the media in Hardoi.

Mr. Yadav invoked Socialist stalwart Ram Manohar Lohia and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. “If the Congress wants to form an alliance, they should form it. If they do not want it, they should say so clearly. So we may prepare ourselves, and defeat the BJP. However, if at any point the Congress needs the support of the Samajwadis, let us know. Our Ram Manohar Lohia and Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) had often said that when the Congress is at the weakest, they will call you, and that at the time we must not refuse,” the SP chief said.

After the Madhya Pradesh seat sharing negotiations failed, a political slugfest erupted between the SP and the Congress, both members of the newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Opposition bloc. Mr. Yadav even cautioned the INDIA bloc parties that if elections were to be fought in a state of confusion, it would not result in success given the organisational strength of the ruling BJP.

The BJP took a swipe at the SP saying “it has now become a matter of honour” for Akhilesh Yadav to find his own existence by separating from the INDIA bloc.