Fri Oct 11 13:40:00 UTC 2024: ## JD(U) Leader Slams Akhilesh Yadav, Demands Samajwadi Party End Alliance with Congress

**Lucknow, India:** A war of words has erupted between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), with the latter demanding the SP sever its alliance with the Congress. This comes after SP leader Akhilesh Yadav called for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to leave the BJP-led NDA.

KC Tyagi, a senior JD(U) leader, countered Yadav’s statement, reminding him of the Congress’s role in imposing the Emergency in 1975. “The movement led by Jai Prakash Narayan was against the ‘dictatorship’ of the Congress. Both Akhilesh Yadav’s father (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and Nitish Kumar were jailed during the Emergency,” Tyagi pointed out.

He further argued that Yadav’s remarks were “inappropriate” and that the SP should end its partnership with the Congress, which “curtailed people’s freedom and violated all democratic norms.”

The spat highlights the growing tensions between the SP and JD(U), both of whom are part of the opposition INDIA bloc. Notably, the Congress leads this bloc and the SP-Congress alliance proved crucial in limiting the BJP’s seat count in Uttar Pradesh during the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The JD(U), with its 12 Lok Sabha seats, holds significant weight as an ally of the BJP at the national level. While the BJP formed its third consecutive government, it fell short of a majority and relies heavily on its allies.

The current exchange of words will likely further fuel speculation about the future of the INDIA bloc and the potential for alliances to shift ahead of upcoming elections.

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