Overview

• Samajwadi Party unilaterally announced candidates for six of the ten upcoming by-election seats in Uttar Pradesh, causing strain with Congress.
• Akhilesh Yadav, SP chief, insists that the INDIA bloc remains intact and that SP and Congress will contest the by-elections together.
• Congress state in-charge Avinash Pandey expressed disappointment over the lack of communication from SP regarding candidate announcements.
• The BJP is rigorously preparing for the by-elections, aiming to reclaim its seats and potentially capture those held by the Samajwadi Party.
• The by-elections are viewed as a critical test for the INDIA alliance ahead of the 2024 general elections, with significant implications for the opposition's strategy against the BJP.