Lucknow: The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh yesterday said it may not put up candidates against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli and Amethi.
At a press conference here, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said his party “had no plans to field candidates against the Congress leaders”.
Stating political courtesy as the reason behind not fielding candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the chief minister said that in the past too his party had not fielded candidates against the Gandhi mother-son duo.
The Congress, he said, had reciprocated by not contesting against his wife Dimple Yadav, now a Lok Sabha member from Kannauj.
The Samajwadi Party has already announced candidates for 78 of the 80 parliamentary constituencies in the state.
The party, whose 22 members in the outgoing Lok Sabha were crucial in keeping the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) II government afloat, has recently become very critical of the economic and foreign policies of the union government.
During public rallies, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has been blaming the Congress for all ills plaguing the nation.
GJM snubs Trinamool, ties
up with BJP
Kolkata: Snubbing Trinamool Congress fielded ex-football star Bhaichung Bhutia from Darjeeling in West Bengal, Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) yesterday announced extending support to the BJP.
“After meeting BJP President Rajnath Singh, the GJM has decided to extend full support to candidates fielded by BJP all over India and Darjeeling. I would appeal to all Gorkhas to support BJP all over India,” GJM chief Bimal Gurung said on Facebook.
Rajnath Singh said in New Delhi Monday that “Gurung has decided to support the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls”.
The GJM’s support had enabled BJP’s Jaswant Singh to bag the Darjeeling seat in 2009.
IANS
