There is no let-up in the war of words between the Samajwadi Party and Congress over seat sharing in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, on Saturday, took a pot shot at MP Congress stalwart Kamal Nath while responding to his “Akhilesh-Vakhilesh” remark, saying whose name is ‘kamal' (lotus)’ won’t call him by his correct name.
“Kamal means lotus which is the poll symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was right in saying who is Vakhilesh? Akhilesh is there. If they say these kinds of things then the SP can also say (such things), but we don’t want to indulge in this. Our relationship with Kamal Nath is very good. His name is so nice. Whose name has ‘kamal’, they will call Vakhilesh only, not Akhilesh," the SP chief said.
Akhilesh Yadav, however, indicated that he was likely to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi soon.
Akhilesh Yadav, who was in Hardoi on Saturday, however said that “it is for the Congress to decide whether they want to continue the alliance or not.
Sources in the SP said the deadlock between the two parties would soon be sorted out as a senior Congress leader had sent a message to SP president for “consultations”.
On Friday, while campaigning in his stronghold Chhindwara, Kamal Nath said his party would win the elections with better than expected numbers.
Asked about SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations of “betrayal” against Congress over seat sharing, Kamal Nath said, “Arre bhai chhodo Akhilesh-Vakhilesh (leave it alone).”
Ram Gopal Yadav, SP MP and uncle of Akhilesh Yadav, on Saturday took a jibe at Kamal Nath over his “Akhilesh-Vakhilesh” jibe at Akhilesh Yadav, calling the Congress leader a “chhutbhaiya neta” (small leader).
Yadav, when questioned about the remark made by Congress leaders including Kamal Nath on the SP chief, retorted, “I don’t want to say anything about them. They are small leaders.”
The war of words between the SP and Congress has heated up ahead of the polls in five states, including Madhya Pradesh. Akhilesh Yadav had said if the grand old party did not want to give it seats in MP, they should have told this before.
“SP is fighting only on seats where it has its own organisation. Now after Madhya Pradesh, I know that the INDIA alliance is for the Lok Sabha elections on a national level. If Congress continues to behave like this, then who will trust them? If we fight with confusion in mind against the BJP, then we won’t succeed,” Akhilesh Yadav had said.
In the 2018 MP assembly election, the SP contested 52 seats in the state and won just one seat. It had extended support to the Congress which fell short of majority to form the government in the state. Madhya Pradesh, currently ruled by the BJP, goes to poll on November 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 3.
