Several small parties had tried to come together with the SP, but the coalition started disintegrating after a short while.
At the time when the I.N.D.I.A bloc was trying to send a message of unity from a rally in New Delhi, the alliance got a body blow in Uttar Pradesh—the state that elects 80 Lok Sabha MPs—as the grouping’s two key constituents announced their decisions to part ways.
As a result, the I.N.D.I.A bloc in the state appears to be in a bad shape, reducing it to just an SP-Congress grouping.
Adding to the troubles of the Opposition bloc, outfits and partners have been breaking away from it at regular intervals over the past month or so and reducing it to a virtual non-player in the politically most important states that determine which party or alliance would rule the country from New Delhi.
The two biggest blows to the alliance came from former minister and biggest proponent of Pichada, Dalits, Alpsankhyak (PDA) politics, Swami Prasad Maurya, who announced his own candidature from Kushinagar, and Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) legislator Pallavi Patel who floated her new outfit Pichada, Dalit, Muslim (PDM) Nyay Morcha. Maurya has also launched a new party—Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party.
In such a scenario, the I.N.D.I Alliance has been reduced to only SP and Congress.
However, Congress deserter and Trinamool Congress entrant and former MLA Laliteshpati Tripathi has got a nomination from Bhadohi under the alliance arrangement.
Several small parties had tried to come together with the SP, the main Opposition party in the state, to put up a united fight against the BJP but the coalition started disintegrating after a short while. The SP has given 17 LS seats to Congress, including Amethi, Rae Bareli and Varanasi.
Pallavi Patel, who had become a legislator on SP election symbol, has also shunned the I.N.D.I Alliance, accusing Akhilesh Yadav of ignoring PDA community. Her party has announced plans to field candidates in seats like Mirzapur, Kaushambi and Phulpur. While sharing stage with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, she also announced the formation of PDM Nyay Morcha.
Similarly, PDA politics aspirant and Azad Samaj Party’s Chandrashekhar Azad has filed his nomination from Nagina constituency, turning it into a multi-corner contest and defeating the I.N.D.I.A bloc’s purpose of fielding a single Opposition candidate against the BJP candidate.
Sanjay Singh Chauhan, national president, Janwadi Party (Socialist),who was seen as an SP ally till recently has also parted ways after being denied a ticket from Ghosi. The denial of ticket by the I.N.D.I alliance angered Chauhan so much that he has floated his own party and announced 14 candidates and has plans to field nominees over 30 seats.
Mahan Dal is not contesting the election but its supporters may end up dividing votes of the Congress or BJP candidates and boost SP-BSP.