New Delhi: With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election dates just a few months away, all political parties are pulling out all the stops. Opposition parties now have an opportunity to target the Chief Election Commissioner, a chance both the Congress and the SP wish to capitalise on. On Tuesday, the Congress and the SP held a protest march in Delhi demanding the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
During the event, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav staged a massive protest on the streets of Delhi and were subsequently detained by the police. However, a lack of coordination was evident between the two prominent leaders. Certain actions suggested that all is not well between the Congress and the SP regarding the upcoming UP elections.
Lack of Coordination Between Rahul and Akhilesh
Intense protests regarding the Chief Election Commissioner are currently taking place in the national capital. Leaders from the Congress and the SP—two major constituents of the INDIA bloc—held a march demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. While Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav participated in the protest march together, the zeal for a united fight was missing. A clear lack of coordination and enthusiasm was visible between the two leaders. Seat-sharing arrangements in Uttar Pradesh are creating rifts between the Congress and the SP, with the distance between the two parties appearing to widen.
Akhilesh Skipped the INDIA Bloc Meeting
Beyond the protests against the Chief Election Commissioner, there have been other instances in recent days where relations between the Congress and the SP appeared frosty. SP President Akhilesh Yadav stayed away from the INDIA bloc meeting. Although the SP did send a representative, Akhilesh Yadav’s absence from the meeting on such a critical issue raised significant questions. Other SP leaders, such as Dimple Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, also kept their distance.
SP Capitalises Politically on Gen Z Protest
Political observers are raising significant questions regarding the lack of warmth between the SP and the Congress. There is speculation about whether the SP is distancing itself from the Congress, or vice versa. The SP had actively participated in the historic Gen Z protest held in Delhi in July. During the protest march to Parliament organised to oppose the paper leaks in competitive examinations, Akhilesh Yadav and his wife, Dimple Yadav, garnered considerable media attention. A photograph of Dimple Yadav offering water to and comforting an injured protester during the demonstration went viral.
