"Seems Congress Doesn't Want To Partner With Us": Akhilesh Yadav

Amid perceived cracks in the INDIA bloc in light of the breakdown in seat-sharing talks between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections and the souring of ties thereafter, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday claimed Congress does not want to ally with his outfit.

Speaking to media persons on a visit to Katni in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "It seems the Congress doesn't want to partner with us. You also must have seen them firing barbs at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is also an alliance partner (in INDIA)."

"The Congress had an opportunity to unite smaller parties and send out a message of Opposition unity. They think the people are with them. Now the PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) will give them a befitting reply," he added.

The SP chief launched a PDA bicycle rally in a bid to reach out to the backward classes, Dalits and minorities in Uttar Pradesh ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.

Akhilesh Yadav is on a three-day visit to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, which will culminate on Tuesday.

The Samajwadi Party has fielded its candidates in 72 seats for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

The party has fielded its candidates from all the constituencies in the Katni district, including Bahoriband, Murwara, Vijayraghavgarh, and Barwara.

Earlier on Sunday, further deepening the rift within the mega alliance, the SP Chief took a swipe at both the Congress and the BJP, accusing them of misusing central probe agencies such as the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Opposition leaders when in power.

Speaking to reporters at Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, the SP chief said, "The BJP is doing what the Congress did when in power. They both used central agencies such as the ED and CBI against the Opposition. However, just as the Congress lost power and its hold on the country weakened, the BJP will, too."

On the rift with the Congress after the breakdown in seat-sharing talks for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, the former UP chief minister said, "Perhaps, I was mistaken in thinking that the Opposition alliance was the upcoming state elections as well. However, it seems that Congress does not want to fight as an ally in these elections. As far as our party (SP) is concerned, I am confident that the people of Madhya Pradesh will support us and we will win more seats than we did the last time."

Also taking a swipe at the Congress over its promise of a caste census in several poll-bound states, the SP chief, "It is the Congress that put obstacles to holding a caste-based census. They were the ones who created hindrances in the implementation of the recommendations of the Mandal Commission and for them to talk about caste census now is laughable. Even the BJP, which has always stood against reservations, is talking about it now."SP and Congress are partners in the Opposition bloc -- the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Earlier, on Friday, the SP chief fired a stinging barb at the Congress, accusing it of betraying the INDIA bloc.

Addressing media persons on a visit to Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, the former UP CM said, "The people of Madhya Pradesh have been following the recent events closely and are now aware that if anyone has betrayed the alliance, it is the Congress. However, further discussions on taking the alliance forward will be held ahead of the Lok Sabha elections."

"The power of PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) will prevail over the NDA," the SP chief added.

The strained partners in the INDIA bloc have been at loggerheads following the breakdown in seat-sharing talks, with Akhilesh firing the "Chirkut" (small-timer) jibe at Congress' state unit chief Ajay Rai.

Upset over the Congress's alleged seat snub to the SP ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, Akhilesh said, "I want to tell the Congress, don't let your Chirkut leaders talk about us."

He added that he was clueless if the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was meant to take on the BJP at the national or state level.

"If Congress didn't want to give us seats (in MP), they could have said it before. We have decided to go it alone in Madhya Pradesh. After (the breakdown in seat-sharing talks in) Madhya Pradesh, I have come to realise that INDIA is meant only for the general elections. But if Congress continues to behave like this, then who will stand with them? If we fight against the BJP with such confusion and doubts in our minds (around the alliance), we will never succeed," he added.

The Congress's UP chief, Ajay Rai, earlier asked the SP to withdraw from the MP polls, saying that they don't have any base in the state to make an impact in the elections.

"If you (Akhilesh Yadav) are a part of INDIA, you have to see how individual parties are placed in different states. In Madhya Pradesh, the fight is between the BJP and the Congress and the SP should support us instead of contesting the polls. They only had a single MLA in Madhya Pradesh, who later switched over to the BJP."

Meanwhile, taking potshots at the Congress party over the ongoing rift within the Opposition alliance, BJP leader and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday said he agreed with Akhilesh's comments against the grand old party.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Akhilesh Yadav's remarks were apt, claiming that the Congress has taken a U-turn after announcing an allowance for unemployed youth in Karnataka in their poll manifesto.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)