With or without Congress, SP to contest seven seats in MP polls

Lucknow: Irrespective of its alliance with the Congress, Samajwadi Party is all set to contest seven seats in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections slated to be held later this year. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to address a public meeting in Rewa district of MP on September 27 to blow the poll bugle in the state.The development has added fresh excitement to the state’s polity as the MP elections are expected to decide the tone and tenor of seat-sharing talks between SP and Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.The unfamiliar stiffness in SP’s approach towards the Congress comes days after reports originated from the Congress camp in UP, saying that the grand old party was trying to reach out to the BSP for a tie-up in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This when BSP is not even a part of the opposition INDIA bloc.“SP national president will address a public meeting in Sirmour assembly constituency of Rewa district in MP on September 27," confirmed party's chief spokesperson and former minister Rajendra Chaudhary.Sirmour is one of the seven assembly seats of MP along the state’s border with UP where SP has already announced its candidates. The party had announced candidates for these seats in August itself. Interestingly, the names of candidates for these seven seats of MP were announced days after then UPCC chief Brijlal Khabri, in an interview, said cadres were of the view that the party should enter into an alliance with anyone in UP but SP.“We have started preparations for the assembly polls and the cadres are upbeat. The party won seven seats in 2003 and in the 2018 elections we won Bijawar seat and finished second in at least six other seats,” Ramayan Singh Patel, the state president of SP in MP, told TOI. Interestingly, of the seven seats where SP has announced candidates, the party did not finish second in any of them in 2018 polls.Political analysts were of the view that fielding of candidates by SP may be a part of some kind of an understanding with the Congress in MP. “In 2018 elections, the fight between SP and Congress on seats along MP’s border on the UP side, was a close one. SP may field candidates to attract some votes which may widen the gap of victory between Congress and BJP in a manner that it benefits the grand old party,” said an analyst. “Maybe a triangular contest on these seven seats will benefit the Congress more than the BJP,” he said.