Akhilesh hints won’t join Rahul Yatra, Cong denies claim that invites not sent

In another sign of the frayed ties between the two INDIA allies amidst seat negotiations in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Wednesday indicated that he might not participate in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, saying that “the Congress and BJP don’t invite me for their programmes”.

Asked at a press conference in Lucknow whether he would join Rahul’s yatra, which is expected to enter UP on February 14 from Chandauli in the east and remain in the state for 10 days, Akhilesh said: “The BJP doesn’t invite us for their programme, and the Congress also doesn’t invite us. The Samajwadis have a separate fight. We are working towards strengthening the alliance (INDIA). We are working to remove the BJP.”

Contacted by The Indian Express, UP Congress chief Ajay Rai said invitations for the yatra had gone out to all INDIA allies. “The invitations have been sent by Rahulji and (Mallikarjun) Khargeji. I can show a copy too… Akhileshji has also been sent an invite along with other INDIA leaders,” he said.

Another Congress leader said that Opposition leaders who are part of the INDIA alliance are likely to get an invite, like they did during Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. However, that time too, BSP chief Mayawati, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary and Akhilesh had all stayed from the yatra that covered some districts in western UP. The RLD, though, had sent some leaders to take part in the yatra.

After entering UP from Chandauli on February 14, the yatra is expected to cover at least 15 districts, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi’s seat Rae Bareli, Rahul’s former seat Amethi, state capital Lucknow, Prayagraj, and other districts, before moving