Mayawati, Akhilesh give a jolt to Congress

Lucknow: Congress which overthrew BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh received a big jolt in Uttar Pradesh by its supporters Samajwadi Party and BSP. Leaders of both the parties neither joined the swearing-in ceremonies in the above-mentioned states nor sent any representatives.

Speculations are rife in political circles due to this decision of Akhilesh and Mayawati that anti-BJP grand alliance is a far cry in Uttar Pradesh.

The three Congress chief ministers, Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, were sworn in on Monday, December 17.

A number of Opposition leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu, M Kanimozhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha’s Babulal Marandi and Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha were seen at Jaipur’s Albert Hall but Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee skipped the event.