A key opposition party leader in India has firmly shut the door on Congress party in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends the largest number of elected lawmakers to parliament.
Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), told Gulf News on Monday that it was too late for an alliance with the Congress and said the latter’s leader Rahul Gandhi must respect the tie-up between his party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the bellwether state.
“I think now Congress party should help this alliance, now that the parties have started going to the field. It is too late for them now, everybody’s prepared and we all must understand that the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] is a stronger force. They have alliances with several parties, they have the strength of the RSS,” Yadav said in an exclusive interview with Gulf News at his party office in the state capital, Lucknow.
India will unveil national election results on May 23 following six marathon weeks of voting in a ballot that will determine whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling BJP win a second term as leader of the world’s largest democracy. Around 900 million voters - 84 million more than in 2014 - will elect 543 lawmakers to the lower house of parliament.
Opinion polls show Modi, who secured the biggest electoral victory in three decades in 2014, may win the most seats but fall short of a majority. The prime minister is battling a slide in popularity over rising concerns about the lack of job creation and rural distress.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress party and its allies are gaining lost ground and electoral momentum after snatching power from the BJP in three key states in December.
Recent surveys have shown that there is no significant change [in BJP vote share] in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh… and we are not there, BSP is not there… Congress should focus on these states
Recent media reports had suggested that hectic negotiations were on to stitch together a last-minute alliance between SP, BSP and Congress in Uttar Pradesh to present a formidable challenge against Modi – whose party won 71 out of 80 seats from UP, ensuring a thumping majority in 2014 national polls.
To prevent a repeat of 2014, Yadav has joined hands with his arch rival Mayawati of the BSP and some other smaller parties, an alliance many observers say can derail Modi’s re-election bid. Talks with Congress did not yield any results as both the sides failed to reach an agreement over the seats. However, after Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi took charge of eastern UP for the Congress party, it was believed that a last minute deal was still possible.
“Recent surveys have shown that there is no significant change [in BJP vote share] in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh… and we are not there, BSP is not there… Congress should focus on these states,” Yadav said. He said Congress should focus on defeating the BJP in other states. “You defeat the BJP in Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan… you have so many states,” he said.
“The Samajwadi Party and Bahuajan Samaj Party have joined hands in UP and the Congress must respect this alliance because this alliance will stop the BJP,” Yadav said. “I have left 40 seats for BSP and Mayawati Ji has left 40 seats for SP… who has made sacrifices here,” he said.
Yadav, who was the chief minister of UP till 2017 when the BJP routed his party, however, accepted the challenges in defeating Modi’s party in the national elections. “I built the Metro rail in Lucknow but people say you [only] made the beginning… just imagine, I built the metro and people say ‘you only made the beginning’,” he said, admitting the challenges in fighting voter perception that is in favour of the BJP. “I am trying to tell you that I [alone] cannot match the BJP’s strength…Dubai has high rises with helicopter pads, here in Lucknow I built two towers [but] development work cannot be easily converted in votes…” he said.
However, he said the SP-BSP alliance will defeat the BJP. “I am telling you that the BJP will get a surprise, the BJP is aware of our strength,” Yadav said. “At this point of time, we are ready to hit the ground and the Congress should respect the alliance by fighting on two seats,” Yadav said. “What’s wrong with that [the Congress party fighting on two seats],” he asked.
The SP chief said that his party will help form a non-BJP federal government in India. “I am not going to form the government, I will help in the government formation,” he said, indicating a post-poll alliance with Congress. “My point is very clear, I want a new prime minister in this country, Modi has failed on all fronts,” he added. “My focus is that SP and BSP should win the maximum number of seats in UP to stop the BJP here in UP… the BJP has media with the prime minister, the Congress should respect the alliance,” he said.
