1. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep concerns over the state of affairs in West Bengal, especially following the Sandeshkhali incident.
2. Sarma condemned the arrest of journalists in Bengal, citing it as a suppression of truth-seeking endeavors.
3. The Assam CM underscored the need for transparent journalism and criticized any attempts to stifle it through intimidation or arrests.
New Delhi, Feb 21: The much-anticipated seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh has been finalized, with the Congress party securing 17 Lok Sabha seats while the remaining 63 seats will be contested by the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and other alliance partners.
Addressing the media in a press conference on Wednesday, Avinash Pande, the Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge, expressed his satisfaction with the allocation of seats.
He stated, “I am delighted to tell you that it has been decided that in Uttar Pradesh the INC will contest 17 seats and the remaining 63 seats will have candidates from the INDIA Alliance – from SP and other parties.”
This announcement marks a significant milestone in the collaboration among opposition parties within the INDIA bloc.
The culmination of the seat-sharing agreement in Uttar Pradesh followed a series of negotiations and discussions, particularly between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra played a pivotal role in breaking the weeks-long deadlock between the two parties, leading to the successful resolution of the seat distribution issue.
Under the agreed-upon arrangement, the Congress will field candidates in several key Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, including Raebareli, Amethi, Kanpur, Fatehpur Sikri, Bans Ganv, Saharanpur, Prayagraj, Maharajganj, Varanasi, Amroha, Jhansi, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Sitapur, Barabanki, and Deoria.
Following the constructive discussions between Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, the SP chief confirmed the formation of an alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
This alliance underscores the collective effort of opposition parties to present a united front in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, to challenge the incumbent government and address the needs and concerns of the people of Uttar Pradesh.
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The seat-sharing agreement represents a strategic move by the INDIA bloc to consolidate support and maximize electoral success in Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the most politically significant states in India.
With the distribution of seats now finalized, the focus will shift towards the campaign trail as the respective parties gear up to contest the upcoming elections and present their vision for the future of Uttar Pradesh and the nation as a whole.
