Lucknow/New Delhi, 5 Dec: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav would not attend the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi on December 6, according to Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary on Tuesday.
When questioned if the decision was made after the declaration of assembly election results in four states, the spokeswoman stated that there had been no prior information of the meeting.
“The national president of the Samajwadi Party has no plans to attend the INDIA bloc meeting tomorrow. The meeting will be attended by Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorized by the national president,” Chaudhary stated.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav stated that his party will attend the conference even if Akhilesh Yadav is not there.
He stated that the Samajwadi Party chief is occupied with several programs in the Purvanchal area. “It makes no difference if a leader does not participate. The meeting will be attended by all parties. Leaders are busy, they have prior commitments… the meeting was called at the last minute. Akhilesh will not attend because he has a program in Purvanchal, but I will,” he stated.
The Samajwadi Party has publicly voiced its anger with the Congress for not accommodating it in Madhya Pradesh while naming its candidates for the state. On Monday, the SP was also absent from a meeting of the INDIA bloc parties in Parliament.
Due to previous commitments, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee would also miss the INDIA bloc meeting on December 6.
On December 6, leaders of the opposition INDIA group will gather at the house of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi to develop a plan for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
After the results of the recent assembly elections in four states were announced, the SP president stated he was not dissatisfied and expressed hope that the outcomes will be different in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
He did, however, emphasize that opposition parties will need to make extensive preparations to confront a “big party” like the BJP.
