Congress snubbed as Ram Gopal Yadav says SP and BSP will decide on UP Mahagatbandhan

 Former chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav will decide on the formation of Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh, said senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Prof Ram Gopal Yadav here on Monday. He made no mention of Congress which is also a key opposition party in Uttar Pradesh. 

"BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav will decide with whom the Grand Alliance has to be formed in Uttar Pradesh,"he said, insisting that a grand alliance of parties would come up in Uttar Pradesh too.

Everyone knows that there is going to be a grand alliance. In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are the most important parties," he said. There have been reports that Congress may be offered just two seats of Rae Bareili and Amethi by SP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh. It will be a bitter pill for Rahul Gandhi considering the party has ruled Uttar Pradesh for over three decades. Even in 2009 polls, Congress surprised everybody winning 21 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. Hence the party would like to definitely contest from a significant number of seats.

But with SP and BSP in fray and RLD also to be provided with some seats in Western Uttar Pradesh, Congress may end up with a handful of seats in the final bargain. It remains to be seen if the mahagathbandhan can finally come to an amicable seat sharing solution. Else, there may be 'friendly fights' in some seats, which will only help BJP. SP will be wary of giving too many seats to Congress considering it gave 105 seats to the grand old party in 2017 Assembly polls. Congress fared very poorly, so did SP. 

On Monday, Mayawati said that she may reconsider supporting Congress in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh if cases against activists booked during Bharat Bandh are not withdrawn. 

Earlier on December 31, 2018, a meeting of opposition parties took place in the national capital, but the BSP and the SP did not participate in the meeting.Leaders from nearly 18 opposition parties had participated in the meeting held before the beginning of Parliament's Winter Session on December 11, 2018. 

With ANI inputs