Haryana effect? SP announces 6 names for UP bypolls; didn't consult us, says Congress

Samajwadi Party on Wednesday announced the names of candidates for six out of 10 seats where bypolls are slated to be held in Uttar Pradesh.

The announcement of names by SP is seen as a snub to INDIA bloc ally Congress, which was hoping to contest five of these 10 seats.

Read: How results of Haryana and J&K will shape Uttar Pradesh politics

Congress said that the Samajwadi Party did not discuss the names of candidates with the coordination panel before making the announcement.

"Samajwadi Party has not discussed with INDIA alliance Coordination Committee nor were we taken into confidence (before releasing the names)," UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey said.

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Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) October 9, 2024

The announcement by SP also comes a day after Congress suffered a big setback in Haryana assembly elections, despite predictions that it would wrest power from BJP.

Samajwadi Party candidate Tej Pratap Singh Yadav blamed Congress's strategy for its defeat in the Haryana elections.

"I am not aware of what happened in Haryana; however, there must have been some shortcomings in their (Congress's) strategy, which led to their defeat," he said.

The results from Haryana has left Congress on a sticky wicket and slowed down its post-Lok Sabha momentum.

The grand old party was hoping to contest five seats previously held by the BJP. Sources said that SP was only willing to offer them 3 seats.

By-elections are scheduled for 10 assembly seats, including Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Nine of these seats, excluding Sisamau, became vacant after their MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.