Samajwadi Party's Bold Candidate Announcement Signals Tension with Congress in UP Bypolls

The Samajwadi Party announced candidates for six Uttar Pradesh bypoll seats, sidestepping ally Congress, which has sought five seats. While SP's decision raises tensions with Congress, discussions on seat-sharing remain ongoing. The move follows recent Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir elections, where Congress faced mixed results.

In a move indicative of growing tension with ally Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday released a list of candidates for six of the ten Uttar Pradesh assembly seats going to bypolls later this year. This decision was made a day after the assembly poll results from Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress has been pushing for five of these seats in the upcoming by-elections. However, the Election Commission has not yet disclosed the official schedule for these polls. Despite being part of the INDIA bloc with the Samajwadi Party, Congress faced an apparent snub when the SP announced candidates for key constituencies.

This development adds another layer to the complex political scenario following the recent elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, where the Congress experienced mixed fortunes. Meanwhile, the BJP took a jab at the INDIA bloc's internal dynamics, highlighting the SP's assertive step as a reflection of post-election realities in Haryana.

(With inputs from agencies.)