Dump Congress or face revolt, Abu Azmi warns Akhilesh Yadav

Even as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is trying to broaden the BSP-SP alliance ahead of 2019, voices of dissent have surfaced over his choice of political parties, particularly the Congress. The Maharashtra unit of the party has threatened to revolt against Yadav if he went ahead to have any kind of truck with the Congress in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

SP Maharashtra president Abu Azmi has shot off a strong-worded letter to Akhilesh Yadav requesting him to stay away from the Congress. In a two-page letter, Azmi has advised Akhilesh Yadav to refrain from campaigning for Congress candidates in Karnataka.

Calling Congress an unreliable, opportunist and a party pedaling on soft-Hindtuva, Azmi said it had ditched the SP in the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Soon after 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had announced to part with SP and had recently contested bypolls against SP in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, he added.

"If the party decides to go with any kind of alliance with the Congress in forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections then I will be left with no option but to revolt against the party," warned the SP Maharahstra chief.

A day before Azmi shot off the letter to Akhilesh Yadav, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had also showed his reservations on his son having an alliance with the Congress after Assembly 2017 elections.

"The Congress is capable of winning only two family seats in Uttar Pradesh. It has no support base in Uttar Pradesh. It should not be included into the SP-BSP alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," said Mulayam.

With party prominent leaders showing reservations on alliance with Congress, Akhilesh Yadav is likely to show a hasty retreat. Party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhary said that final decision on Akhilesh Yadav campaigning for the Congress candidates in Karnataka was yet to be taken.

The SP is also planning to file about 15 candidates in Karnataka as a face-saving formula for Akhilesh Yadav to campaign in Karnataka but for party candidates.

Mulayam Unhappy

A day before Azmi shot off the letter to Akhilesh Yadav, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had also showed his reservations on his son having an alliance with the Congress after Assembly 2017 elections.