Congress not to field candidates in UP Assembly bypoll, will support INDIA bloc nominees

Party's assertion came a day after SP chief Akhilesh said all INDIA bloc candidates would contest the byelection on its ‘cycle’ election symbol

PTI

New Delhi, Updated At : 08:46 PM Oct 24, 2024 IST

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. File

The Congress on Thursday announced that it would not field candidates in the nine Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, where the byelections are being held, and that it would support INDIA bloc nominees.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi with the Congress’ Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai, AICC general secretary Avinash Pande said party workers and leaders would unconditionally work to ensure the victory of Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates or that of other INDIA bloc parties. He said the prevailing political circumstances were not about strengthening the organisation or the party but protecting the Constitution. He asserted that it was not about seats but victory on these seats.

Pande said the decision was arrived at after consultations with Rai, Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra, AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the SP leadership.

The Congress' assertion came a day after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said all INDIA bloc candidates would contest the byelections in Uttar Pradesh on its ‘cycle’ election symbol.

Pande, however, clarified that the candidate and symbol both would be of the SP or any other INDIA bloc ally, and not of the Congress. Yadav had earlier said the alliance's decision was not informed by any seat-sharing maths but a pursuit of victory.

“The Congress and SP are united and stand shoulder to shoulder for a big victory. The India bloc is going to write a new chapter of victory in this byelection,” Yadav said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Yadav on Thursday also shared on X a picture with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and emphasised their shared commitment to protect the Constitution, reservation and social harmony.

The nine assembly seats going to polls are Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki. The byelections will be held on November 13 and the results announced on November 23. PTI