"To stop BJP, we have to come together": Congress leader Avinash Pande on seat sharing in UP

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India]. February 21 (ANI): After the confirmation of the seat-sharing agreement between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress state in-charge Avinash Pande said that to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), they have to come together.
The Congress leader said that this decision is very important for the future of the state.
"This is a moment of happiness where the decision taken by both the parties INC and Samajwadi Party together, is very important for the future of Uttar Pradesh. Even though the seats are very less, we have accepted this challenge. If we have to stop BJP then we will have to come together," Pande said.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats.
SP leader Ravidas Mehrotra told ANI, "Samajwadi Party and Congress will contest Lok Sabha elections together. This will strengthen the INDIA alliance and INDIA will form its government in 2024. The opposition parties will contest the election together. We have tried to stop the scattering of non-BJP votes."
"Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats. We will try to get all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh," he added.
Meanwhile, party chief Akhilesh Yadav confirmed an alliance with the Congress, assuring that details would be revealed soon. He stated that there was no conflict between the two parties, emphasizing that all would be clarified in due course.
"All is well that ends well. Yes, there will be an alliance. There is no conflict. Everything will be out and clear soon," Yadav stated while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
The Samajwadi Party and the Congress are partners in the INDIA bloc. The success of the seat sharing talks between the two are crucial, especially after the failure of such talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has decided to contest in her state alone.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had made his participation in the Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra conditional to a decision on seat sharing, saying that he would join it the moment the seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are distributed between the two parties.
"Right now talks are going on, lists have come from their side and from ours as well, the moment the seats are distributed and decided, the Samajwadi Party will join Congress's Nyaya Yatra," Yadav said speaking to reporters on Monday.
The SP Chief could now join the yatra on February 24-25 when it hits Moradabad in Western UP.
Speaking about the significance of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Yadav said, "The 2024 elections are significant. It is an election to save the Constitution and save the future of the country, save Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, to save fraternity." (ANI)