SP gnaws at Cong again after Rahul-for-PM bills raised in UP

NEW DELHI | Updated: 26 October, 2023 7:17 pm IST

Both the posters have spread great animosity between the two "allies", casting aspersions on their 'gathbandhan'

NEW DELHI: After the Samajwadi Party (SP) displayed posters featuring their president, Akhilesh Yadav, as a potential “future Prime Minister,” the Congress in Uttar Pradesh has now erected posters showcasing senior party leader and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, for “2024 Prime Minister”.

The hoarding also depicted Congress State President Ajay Rai, as the chief minister of UP in the 2027 assembly elections. Responding to the poster, SP state spokesperson, Fakhrul Hasan ‘Chand’ said that the poster would not have any effect on the people’s morale because they had worked for “Dalits, backwards, and minorities”. The spokesperson further added that the people wanted Yadav to become the PM.

Chand had initially plastered Yadav’s posters throughout SP offices across the state.

The Congress party’s Nitant Singh Nitin had put up Gandhi’s posters with his pictures where it sloganeered, “2024 mein Rahul, 2027 mein Rai, desh-pradesh bol raha hai, haath ke saath aayen” (Rahul in 2024, (Ajay) Rai in 2027, both country and state are asking you to come in support of the hand).

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According to news agencies, Nitin had said that among party workers the atmosphere was that of the common people wanting to tag along with the Grand Old Party. “There will be a direct contest between Congress and BJP in the coming days and Rahul will be the prime minister and Ajay Rai will become chief minister of the state. There is growing confidence among the people towards our party,” he said.

Upon the emergence of the poster, the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) characterised Yadav’s posters as “Mungeri laal ke haseen sapne (beautiful dreams on the wall),” seen as a tactic to exert pressure on associates within his opposition bloc in India.

SP’s posters had plastered a slogan that read, “Hearty congratulations and best wishes on his birthday to the future Prime Minister of the country, respected Akhilesh Yadav ji.” They had been put up on Saturday, although his actual birthday is on July 1.

“It is the SP which is fighting the battle of backwards, Dalits and minorities. No matter how many posters Congress puts up, the public wants Akhilesh Yadav to be the PM. When an SP chief becomes a PM, an SP leader will become the chief minister of UP. The vote share of Congress in UP is less than that of many regional parties,” Hasan had told agencies.

Earlier, Yadav had attacked the Congress for not following seat-sharing agreements with SP for Madhya Pradesh state elections. The Yadav scion had also gone on to attack the Congress UP state president, calling him a “chirkut” (insignificant).