Disgruntled Elements In Cong, SP Look At Ghulam, Shivpal

(MENAFN- IANS)

Lucknow, Aug 28 (IANS) Disgruntled elements in the Uttar Pradesh congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are now looking towards the next move of their parties' rebel leaders to secure their future.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently exited the Congress, and Shivpal Singh Yadav, who has severed his ties with SP, are being keenly watched by the Congress and SP cadres, respectively.

While the UP Congress spokesmen continue to slam Ghulam Nabi Azad for quitting the party 'when it is in a crisis', party leaders who are disillusioned with the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Uttar Pradesh, are waiting and watching the next move of Azad.

'This almost seems like a replay of the nineties when N.D. Tiwari and Arjun Singh had formed the Tiwari Congress following differences with then Prime Minister P.V. Narsimha Rao and then Congress chief Sitaram Kesri. Since Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra refuse to see the writing on the wall and remain completely inaccessible to the party cadres, we are bound to look for options,' admitted a senior leader, also a former MLA.

He said that he was waiting for Ghulam Nabi Azad's next move.

'We cannot go to the BJP as we are ideologically incompatible. If Azad forms a new party, there are many who will join him because he is, after all, a Congressman to the core,' he added.

Incidentally, Ghulam Nabi Azad is familiar with party cadres in Uttar Pradesh since he has had a stint as in-charge of the state.

The leader further said that if Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and other G-23 leaders present a viable alternative, many from the Congress in UP will join them.

A similar situation is prevailing in the Samajwadi Party where leaders who are being ignored by Akhilesh Yadav, are looking towards Shivpal Yadav.

'Akhilesh Yadav is a man of strong likes and dislikes and those who are being shunned by him right now, certainly do not expect to get a ticket for the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in the coming years. These leaders are waiting for Shivpal Yadav to consolidate his position in the opposition before they join him,' said one such disgruntled leader.

Interestingly, disgruntled elements, who earlier wanted to join the Congress, have changed their plans.

A former SP MLA. who was denied a ticket in the 2022 Assembly polls, said, 'The situation in UP Congress seems worse than SP. Joining Congress would be like going from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. It is better to wait for Shivpal Yadav because at least he is accessible.'

These SP leaders are also hopeful of Mohd Azam Khan joining hands with Shivpal Yadav, sooner than later.

'This development, if it happens, will strengthen Shivpal in a big way,' said a source.

According to sources, several Congress leaders in UP -- mainly former MLAs and former UPCC presidents -- have already opened channels of communication with Ghulam Nabi Azad.

One such leader told IANS, 'We have urged him to form a party -- perhaps Azad Congress-and lead us all. We now need freedom from the 'coterie culture' of Rahul and Priyanka that has destroyed the party. Some of us will be meeting him in Delhi next week.'

--IANS

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