UP Assembly bypolls: Congress not to field candidates, says will support Samajwadi Party’s nominees

UP Assembly bypolls: Congress on Thursday announced that the party would not field candidates in all the nine Assembly seats where the by-elections are being held. The grand old party said it would support the candidates of Samajwadi Party’s in the upcoming by-polls for the Assembly seats in the state.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in the national capital, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said, “Congress not to contest bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.” Rai further announced to “support Samajwadi Party’s candidates in the bypolls for nine assembly seats.”

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief said the alliance is standing strong together. This decision has been taken considering the situation in the state.

“The (INDIA) alliance is standing strong together. This decision has been taken considering the situation in the state,” Rai said. He was responding to a media query on Congress not contesting on two seats offered by the Samajwadi Party.

AICC general secretary and UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pande, who also addressed the press conference, said the party workers and leaders would unconditionally work to ensure the victory of Samajwadi Party candidates or that of other INDIA bloc parties.

Pande said the prevailing political circumstances were not about strengthening the organisation or the party but about protecting the Constitution.

“It’s not about contesting on two or four seats. It’s about contesting together to achieve our aim. A mutual agreement was reached between the two parties against the power which is trying to weaken the Constitution,” Pande said.

Pande said the decision was arrived at after consultations with Rai, Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra, AICC general secretary organisation KC Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with the Samajwadi Party leadership.

Earlier on Wednesday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said all INDIA bloc candidates would contest the by-polls in Uttar Pradesh on its 'cycle' election symbol.

Taking to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), the Samajwadi Party chief wrote, " It is not about seats but about winning'. Under this strategy, the joint candidates of 'India Alliance' will contest on all the 9 seats on the Samajwadi Party's election symbol 'cycle'.

Congress and Samajwadi Party are united and standing shoulder to shoulder for a big victory. India Alliance is going to write a new chapter of victory in this by-election.

It is important to note that the election commission has announced that a by-election on 9 assembly seats will be held on November 13, and the results will be announced on November 23. The nine Assembly seats going to polls are Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki.