SP, Congress bonhomie on ground as they fight BJP — and their past experience

THEIR ALLIANCE having failed to make a dent the last time they got together in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party and Congress are working overtime to put up a united fight against the BJP as the Lok Sabha elections move towards the fourth and fifth phases.

The efforts are showing on the ground in at least some of the constituencies, including Rae Bareli, as leaders and workers of the two INDIA bloc allies display rare bonhomie at election meetings, giving the opposition campaign a fresh impetus.

This couldn’t have come at a better time for both parties. While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is in the fray in Kannauj, which votes on Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli, which votes on May 20.

Both leaders have in recent days led the push for a united fight, holding joint rallies. Last Friday, Rahul campaigned for Akhilesh at a joint rally in Kannauj, only the second such show of strength since elections began on April 19. This was followed by another joint rally in Kanpur the same day for Congress candidate Alok Mishra.

The SP and Congress, however, are not only fighting against the ruling BJP but also their experience from the last time they were together.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, when the SP and Congress were in alliance, they were drubbed by the BJP, which won 312 out of the total 403 seats. The SP won 47 out of the 311 seats it contested and the Congress won 7 out of 114 seats it fought. While the BJP bagged 39.67% of the vote share, the SP got 21.82% and the Congress 6.25%.

Leaders of both parties say it was different then. The alliance was largely visible at the top level and co-ordination was missing at the grassroots, they say. Also, unlike this time, both had fielded candidates against each