'Well-thought': Congress defends decision to skip UP bypolls, back SP

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) The Congress has decided to support the Samajwadi Party and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) candidates in all the nine Assembly segments of Uttar Pradesh (UP) going for by-elections on November 13.

Congress General Secretary in charge of UP Avinash Pande and the UP Congress Chief Ajay Rai said that it was a well-thought decision of the party to ensure the defeat of the BJP-lead NDA candidates in UP.

They said that with the way BJP is practising polarising politics in the country and threatening the Constitution and the secular fabric, it was important that the BJP gets defeated.

Pande disclosed that the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, after deliberating on the matter, were all in agreement that the party should not field any candidate from any of the nine constituencies and support the INDIA bloc candidates everywhere.

The UP in-charge Avinash Pande said that each and every Congress worker will be actively involved in the campaigning and ensuring that the BJP was defeated in all the nine Assembly segments by the SP and INDIA bloc candidates.

Both Pande and Rai made it categorically clear that the Congress's support for the INDIA bloc candidates was in the interest of the nation, and for saving and protecting the Constitution and the secular fabric of the country.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav said that the candidates of the INDIA bloc are set to contest all nine Assembly seats in the upcoming bypolls in the state on his party's election symbol, 'cycle'. 

He said that the opposition bloc's pursuit of victory, not any seat-sharing calculations, guided its decision.

"Congress and the Samajwadi Party 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 by-election," Yadav said in a post on X.

"With this unprecedented cooperation and support, every worker of 'INDIA bloc' on all nine Assembly seats is filled with new energy with the resolve to win," he added.

"It is not about seats but about winning. Under this strategy, the joint candidates of the INDIA bloc will contest all the nine seats on the Samajwadi Party's election symbol 'cycle'."

"Congress and Samajwadi Party are united and standing shoulder to shoulder for a big victory. INDIA bloc is going to write a new chapter of victory in the Uttar Pradesh by-election, the SP President wrote on X.

He said that Samajwadi Party's strength has increased manifold with the support of Congress party's top leadership and booth-level workers. 

"With this unprecedented cooperation and support, every worker of the INDIA bloc in all the 9 Assembly seats has been filled with new energy with the resolve to win," he said.

He said that this is an election to save the country's constitution, harmony and the honour of the PDA. "That is why our appeal to everyone is: not even a single vote should be reduced, not even a single vote should be divided," Yadav further wrote on X.

This unity and solidarity of the INDIA bloc filled with harmony in the interest of the country will write new history today and tomorrow as well, he added.

Speaking about the Uttar Pradesh bypolls, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister asserted that the upcoming election will be fought for the protection of the country's Constitution, peace, and the honour of "Pichchde (backwards), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (Minorities)".

Bypolls in Uttar Pradesh will be held on November 13 on nine seats: Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Eight of these seats in the state fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha, while a bypoll was held on the Sisamau seat following the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.

The Election Commission has announced a by-election on nine seats, leaving out Milkipur (Ayodhya).

The counting of votes will take place on November 23.

The SP has already declared its candidates from Karhal, Sisamau, Phulpur, Milkipur, Katehari, Majahawan, and Meerapur.

--IANS

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