The Samajwadi Party and Congress will contest Uttar Pradesh
assembly polls together. The deal was sealed after SP president Akhilesh Yadav
agreed to give 105 seats to the Congress in elections for the 403-member UP
assembly.
After days of talks and tough bargain, the Samajwadi Party
and Congress finally arrived at a mutually agreeable seat-sharing formula for
the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
The deal was sealed after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh
Yadav agreed to give 105 seats to the Congress, which was bargaining hard to
have an honourable escape from its earlier position of contesting the assembly
polls alone and naming its chief ministerial candidate in Sheila Dikshit.
The talks had hit rough weather after Samajwadi Party chief
Akhilesh Yadav, fresh from the victory achieved after bitter infighting in the
party, refused to give Congress a three-figure number to field its candidates
in the state.
As late as yesterday, the parleys were as good as over with
leaders from both parties blaming each other for the failed talks. But,
Congress' UP in-charge Gulam Nabi Azad still had hopes, when he said, "You
will come to know about the status of alliance by Sunday morning."
Today, the result was there for all to see: the SP and
Congress will contest the UP polls together. Akhilesh Yadav conceded a bit and
Congress accepted new offer.
Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls in seven phases on February
11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8. The
counting of votes will take place on March 11.
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