Defying Exit Polls and Opinion Polls, Bharatiya Janata Party’s win in Haryana stumped Congress in a way that it can either learn from it or keep on losing the upcoming state assembly elections. However, it sure sent a message to its alliance partners that the grand old party lost its post-Lok Sabha luster.
Be it Uttar Pradesh or Maharashtra, Congress’s allies aren’t ready to give more space to the party in either state. The seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra, or lack of candidates in Uttar Pradesh by-polls gives a boost to parties like Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, and Nationalist Congress Party- Sharadchandra Pawar.
Uttar Pradesh By-Polls, All Candidates To Fight Under Samajwadi Party Symbol
Taking to X, yesterday on 23rd October, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav announced that all INDI alliance candidates contesting in the Uttar Pradesh by-polls will be under Samajwadi Party’s ‘cycle’ symbol.
He wrote, “Under this strategy, the joint candidates of ‘India bloc’ will contest on all the nine seats on the Samajwadi Party’s election symbol ‘cycle’. Congress and the Samajwadi Party are united and standing to shoulder for a big victory. India Bloc is going to write a new chapter of victory in this by-election.”
Sticking to the PDA formula, Akhilesh further said that the Samajwadi Party’s strength had increased with the support of the Congress party’s booth-level workers and top leadership.
Maharashtra Congress Receives A Big Hit
The new seat-sharing formula of the Maha Vikas Agadi in Maharashtra seems a bit embarrassing for the Maharashtra Congress. The alliance has decided to go with an 85-seat per-party sharing formula, which significantly decreases the stature of Congress in Maharashtra.
The alliance has decided on a total of 255 seats out of the 288, where the remaining 33 seats will decide who’s superior in the MVA. Both Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress want to contest on 100 seats, though negotiations haven’t been able a consensus.
Reports suggest that the region where both parties have locked horns is Vidarbha, and Mumbai seats are also been renegotiated.
On the other hand, a leader from Shiv Sena (UBT) has indicated that 18 out of the remaining 33 seats are meant for smaller parties within the alliance. So, the negotiations are stuck on the remaining 15 seats.
With less than a month to Maharashtra state elections, can Congress reclaim its dominance is questionable.
Rising Stature of NCP and SP
The seat-sharing formula of MVA shocked many in Maharashtra as NCP (SP) is about to contest 85 assembly seats. This raises the stature of Sharad Pawar from somewhere being the peacemaker in the alliance to maybe staking a claim at the Chief Minister post for the party.
Similarly, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party is said to get 5 seats in the seat-sharing formula of MVA, which is a rise for the party as previously it contested for two assembly seats.
A Major Hit For Congress
The loss of Haryana seems to follow Congress in every upcoming state election as its allies forget the alleged comeback of Rahul Gandhi in this year’s Lok Sabha elections.
As Uttar Pradesh by-polls approach on 13th November, Congress had initially demanded to contest from five seats in the state. However, the Samajwadi Party offered to let Congress contest for two seats.
Reports suggest that Akhilesh Yadav had already fielded candidates for two specific seats that Congress demanded, that being Meerapur and Phulpur. As a result, Congress decided not to contest at all.
Many believe that the unwillingness to share seats by Akhilesh Yadav is retaliation for the Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir elections, as the INDI alliance didn’t field any Samajwadi Party candidates in them.
While Congress might believe that it is regaining its ground in the country, regional parties like Samajwadi Party, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) remind it of the downfall the party has received.