SP-Cong alliance in UP: We will fight election together and Akhilesh Yadav will again become Chief Minister, says Naresh Uttam

The Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections sealed on Sunday. Both Samajwadi Party and Congress jointly addressed press conference in Lucknow.

As per the sources, Congress has agreed on 105 seats whereas SP will fight elections on 298 seats.

“For unity and intergrity of India and following secular ideology, we will continue our fight under SP National president Akhilesh Yadav,” state Samajwadi Party chief Naresh Uttam told a press conference addressed jointly with UP PCC president Raj Babbar.

“The country’s secular fabric will become stronger when Akhilesh Yadav becomes the chief minister again,” Uttam said.

He said the idea was to “uproot communal BJP” and make UP a leading state by removing both BJP and Mayawati’s BSP.

The PCC chief said Congress has accepted SP’s offer of 105 seats keeping in mind the prevailing situation in the country and also the atmosophere in the state.

“Keeping these factors in mind, Congress leadership agreed to strike an alliance to thwart BJP’s divisive politics and at the same time to boost secularism and promote communal and social harmony.

“Our ideologies are not different. We share many common ideologies,” he said, adding both the parties believed in social justice and development, peace and good atmosphere.

He said the alliance between the two youth leaders— Akhilesh and Rahul Gandhi—will ensure that politcs transcends narrow boundaries of caste and religion.

He also said BJP had created hardships for the people with its note ban decision. “Now people have an opportunity to teach BJP a lesson,” he said.

When asked to comment on Congress’ slogan “27 saal, UP behaal” Raj Babbar said, “Now UP will embark on the rapid path of progress and there will be no ‘badhali’ (in a bad state).”

Until Saturday, an alliance between the two parties seemed difficult as the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP was ready to offer only 99 seats to Rahul Gandhi’s party, which was unacceptable to Congress.

Here are the live updates from the press conference:

# Sure that this alliance (SP and Cong) will set an example; will strive hard for upliftment of poor and development of state

# The alliance is based on the good works of Akhilesh Yadav: Raj Babbar 

# We have agreed to alliance in UP, says Raj Babbar 

# We will contest election together and Akhilesh Yadav will again become Chief Minister, says Naresh Uttam 

# SP and Congress will jointly contest election in Uttar Pradesh, says Naresh Uttam

# Congress is going to contest election from 105 seats 

# Samajwadi Party is going to contest from 298 seats