by Ajay Kumar
Lucknow: The differences among the political parties in the NDA and the INDIA alliance have come to the forefront regarding the upcoming assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP and the Samajwadi Party appear to be in a stronger position, while the country’s oldest national party, the Congress, is struggling to find its footing. The Congress is having to appeal to the Samajwadi Party for seats and to BJP leaders regarding the Sanjay Nishad party. The situation is such that Congress is unsure whether to contest the elections or not.
It is quite absurd that while a coalition between the Samajwadi Party and Congress is expected to continue for the Lok Sabha elections, Congress will not field a single candidate in the assembly by-elections. This decision seems to stem from Congress’s desire to maintain the enthusiasm among its workers after the Lok Sabha election victory in UP. The primary reason behind Congress’s decision not to contest is the perception that competing against the BJP on the Ghaziabad and Khair seats would be challenging.
Congress is reportedly preparing to announce its decision not to contest soon. The party’s focus appears to be on the upcoming assembly elections rather than the by-elections. Senior leaders in Congress believe that a loss in the by-elections could demoralize their workers, and thus this period should be utilized for strengthening the organization and enhancing worker engagement. The main objective for Congress is to defeat the BJP, and for this, the party intends to exert its full effort to ensure the victory of Samajwadi Party candidates in all seats.
Senior Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh have communicated this message to the central leadership. During the Haryana assembly elections, Congress did not give any seats to the Samajwadi Party, indicating internal friction among the INDIA alliance partners. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party allocated only 17 out of 80 seats to Congress, which managed to win seven, thereby preserving its reputation. Now, the focus is on restructuring the party in the state, with Congress willing to forgo two seats to send a message of sacrifice to its allies.
Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai had proposed candidacy for five seats to the central leadership. However, after the Samajwadi Party declared candidates for seven seats, it became clear that the party was in a dominant position. Congress attempted to negotiate for the two seats it received but was unsuccessful. Attempts were made to swap Ghaziabad and Khair for Phoolpur and Majhwan, but the Samajwadi Party did not agree. Consequently, Congress has decided to withdraw its claim from all seats.
In the case of Ghaziabad, Congress candidate Dali Sharma faced a massive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, losing to BJP candidate Atul Garg by a margin of 336,965 votes. In the Ghaziabad assembly constituency, Garg received 137,206 votes while Sharma secured only 73,950 votes. Meanwhile, the Aligarh seat was allocated to the Samajwadi Party.
Regarding the NDA ally Nishad Party, they are also ready to contest the by-elections. The party’s president and Fisheries Minister Sanjay Nishad stated that they will field candidates for the Majhwan and Katehari assembly seats under their election symbol. He asserted that, regardless of the BJP, the election symbol should represent the Nishad Party.