After halting saffron rath in UP, Akhilesh brings Red Sea to Parliament

| Updated: 24 June, 2024 8:58 pm IST

NEW DELHI: SP Chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav arrived in Parliament for his oath-taking ceremony on Monday, accompanied by all 37 MPs, including his wife Dimple Yadav.

They carried copies of the Constitution and wore the party’s signature red caps and gamchas. This marked the beginning of a new political chapter as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Leader of the Opposition Akhilesh Yadav took their oaths as members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

Akhilesh sat next to Rahul Gandhi in the opposition’s first row, while Prime Minister Modi greeted both with folded hands. This significant move by the Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh has left many stunned, symbolizing their dedication to democracy and the rule of law.

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The Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance has been gaining traction in Uttar Pradesh with their strategic and bold decisions. This partnership has shown its strength, as evidenced by their surprising victories in the state elections.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the INDIA bloc secured 43 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, with the SP winning 37 and Congress six. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won 33 seats, while its allies Rashtriya Lok Dal and Apna Dal (S) took two and one seat, respectively. The BSP did not win any seats. Previously, the BJP and its allies had dominated with 73 seats in 2014 and 64 in 2019.

The Election Commission (EC) is yet to release the schedule for by-polls in the 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance surprised the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Following this setback, the ruling party faces pressure to regain its footing, while the opposition aims to maintain momentum ahead of the assembly polls.

The Samajwadi Party and Congress have announced they will contest under the INDIA bloc. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is also preparing for the upcoming elections. The 10 assembly seats became vacant after nine assembly members, including Akhilesh Yadav, were elected to the Lok Sabha, and SP MLA Irfan Solanki was disqualified following a jail sentence in a criminal case.

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