Team News Riveting
Lucknow, December 29
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav set all speculations to rest over his joining Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra and said he had not received any invitation.
From the past few days, speculation has been rife in the political corridors that the SP chief and RLD chief are expected to join the Yatra when it reaches Uttar Pradesh. Amid speculations of him joining the Yatra, Yadav on Thursday cleared that ‘no invitation has been received.’
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that ‘the ideology of his party is different.’ “We have not received any invitation (for Bharat Jodo Yatra). The ideology of our party is different. BJP and Congress both are same,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow said.
Earlier, the parties had issued a statement that SP president Akhilesh Yadav and ally RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary are unlikely to participate in the Yatra due to “preoccupation” with their programmes. The development however has contrast as Congress has said it has invited several leaders of non-BJP parties, including Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati and RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary, to take part in the Uttar Pradesh leg of the Yatra from January 3.
The BSP is still waiting for the Congress invitation for the yatra and any call on participation in it will be taken by party president Mayawati, a senior BSP leader said. The BSP MP from Jaunpur, Shyam Singh Yadav was present in the yatra in Delhi, walking alongside Rahul Gandhi for three hours. However, the party had not clarified in which capacity he attended the yatra.
