Lok Sabha polls 2019: SP-BSP to announce alliance tomorrow?
New Delhi, Jan 11 (IBNS): As the nation is gearing up to vote to elect a new Prime Minister, politically crucial Uttar Pradesh's two major parties- Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)- are going to hold a joint press conference on Saturday.
It is being speculated widely that the two major parties of the state may announce an alliance for the polls during the press conference.
According to reports, BSP chief Mayawati and SP's Akhilesh Yadav are going to address the press conference together.
They may announce an alliance for the polls during the polls.
The Congress party's stand:
With several media reports claiming the Samajwadi party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are looking for an alliance without the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, the country's oldest party had recently said it will go solo in the 2019 General Elections in the state.
Congress leader PL Punia had said his party workers are ready to battle out without any partner.
Following the recent Madhya Pradesh elections, questions can come up easily whether the SP-BSP will join hands with Congress once the 2019 Lok Sabha polls get over.
In 2018, after the conclusion of the Madhya Pradesh polls, Mayawati offered her support to the Congress, which was short of majority mark, to form the government and keep BJP out of power.
Sources had told News18 that both SP and BSP are planning to contest on 37 seats each out of the 80 on offer in Uttar Pradesh and plan to leave just two – Rae Bareli and Amethi- the bastions of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi for the Congress, an offer that the grand old party is unlikely to accept.
How SP-Congress alliance failed in 2017:
Though the SP and Congress made a pre-poll tie up in 2017, they failed to stop the Modi juggernaut in Uttar Pradesh.
The saffron party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the state polls by winning 325 seats in a 403-member assembly, uninstalling the Akhilesh Yadav government.
The SP-Congress could manage to win 54 seats while BSP bagged just 19.
Recent success of grand alliance in UP:
The BJP had suffered a crushing defeat in the hands of the grand alliance in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies, where by-polls were held in 2018. Both the seats were strong holds of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya.
In a by-poll which took place in Kairana parliamentary constituency, grand alliance candidate from Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Tabassum Hasan, made the BJP bite the dust.
In Noorpur assembly seat, grand alliance candidate from SP, Naim Ul Hasan, clinched a victory, scaring the saffron unit.
How BJP performed in 2014 General Elections?
Riding on Modi wave, the BJP and its allies swept Uttar Pradesh by winning 73 out of 80 parliamentary seats.
The SP had won five while Congress could manage to clinch only two seats. Mayawati's BSP had failed to open its account.
Images: Akhilesh Yadav courtesy Twitter page/Mayawati courtesy Facebook
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