Akhilesh softens stand toward Congress, says preparations needed to take on BJP before Lok Sabha elections

Akhilesh said that his party wanted to have an understanding with the Congress in the MP assembly poll but it could not materialise but it will not have any impact on future alliances.

Amid all around attack on the Congress from I.N.D.I.A alliance partners following it dismal performance in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav appeared to soften his stand toward the grand old party saying that such defeats were common in a democracy and that the opposition parties needed to prepare well to take on the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

Akhilesh, who had a verbal duel with the UP Congress leaders in the run up to the Assembly polls in the five states raising a question mark on the future of the I.N.D.I.A alliance in Uttar Pradesh, also indicated that the alliance was on in the state.

"Such results are common in a democracy...there is no need to be dejected....we need to prepare well to take on a big party like BJP,'' the SP chief said while speaking to reporters in Varanasi on Monday.

He said that his party wanted to have an understanding with the Congress in the MP assembly poll but it could not materialise. ''It will not have any impact on future alliances,'' he added.

Akhilesh also once again demanded use of ballot papers in the elections saying that voting continued for over a month in countries like USA and Japan and counting also took the same time. ''What's the hurry in counting the votes?'' he said.

Although the SP, which had put up its candidates on 72 seats in MP assembly poll, failed to win any seat, it was able to make a dent into the opposition votes in at least four assembly constituencies resulting in the defeat of the Congress candidates.

Congress nominee lost Niwari assembly seat by 17157 votes to BJP. The SP candidate in Niwari secured 32670 votes. Similarly BJP defeated Congress in Chandla constituency by 15491 votes. Here the SP nominee secured 24,977 votes. The SP nominee secured 6353 votes in Rajnagar while the margin of loss of Congress there was 5867 votes.