Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has reportedly snubbed the Congress and “refused” to join the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh.

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: In another potential setback for the opposition INDIA bloc ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has reportedly snubbed the Congress and “refused” to join the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh.

According to a media report, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister has refused to participate in the Congress’ yatra, which reached Prayagraj on Sunday afternoon.

Akhilesh announced that he will not be joining the Gandhi-led march in Uttar Pradesh, Republic World reported.

Akhilesh to join Yatra at Rae Bareli?

Meanwhile, Yadav is now expected to join the Nyay Yatra in UP’s Rae Bareli on Tuesday. An IANS report, citing sources said the SP and the Congress are likely to finalise their seat-sharing arrangement in the state within the next two days.

An alleged rift has been brewing between the the two INDIA bloc allies since state assembly polls late last year while seat-sharing arrangements between the two parties have been stuck since January 27 when Akhilesh had announced 11 seats to the Congress which caught the party off-guard.

Since then, there have been no further developments in seat-sharing deals between the two.

There was no acknowledgement from Congress about the 11 seats though both the parties constantly maintained that talks are going on.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh has accepted Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s invitation to join the Nyay Yatra, the IANS report said.

“Akhilesh will join the Nyay yatra for some distance with Rahul. He will join the yatra in Rae Bareli — most likely at Bachhrawan,” SP National Secretary and Spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said.

Bachhrawan is a Vidhan Sabha seat that the SP won in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Rae Bareli and Amethi are two Lok Sabha constituencies where the SP has not fielded any candidates in several successive Lok Sabha elections. The two parties, despite being rivals earlier, had not been fielding candidates against the Gandhi and Yadav family members.

Nyay Yatra reaches Prayagraj

Rahul Gandhi’s  ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ reached Prayagraj on Sunday afternoon. Gandhi UP Congress president Ajay Rai and other party leaders were seen moving in an open jeep during the yatra, which reached Prayagraj at around 4.00 pm.

Senior party leader Pramod Tiwari said that Gandhi reached Swaraj Bhavan straight from the airport, where he met the party workers and started his yatra.

He said that the yatra will pass through Netram Chauraha and reach Laxmi Talkies, where Gandhi will address a public meeting, and after this, the yatra will move forward.

(With inputs from agencies)