Lucknow: If photo-ops at political events are any indication of what is happening behind the scenes, then the INDIA bloc protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on Tuesday sent out signals that the SP-Congress alliance for UP polls was far from a ‘done deal’.Though the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav flew down to Delhi on Tuesday morning to participate in the protest led by Rahul Gandhi, the absence of usual bonhomie between the two left the shutterbugs wanting. When Rahul led the protest march, Akhilesh chose to walk with his party MPs a row behind him.Both Rahul and Akhilesh were with each other in the protest march but not as ‘together’ as they were on previous occasions like Gen Z protest, Bharat Jodo Yatra and UP ke Lardke campaign.It was not only about the Tuesday protest alone. Questions were also raised when Akhilesh missed the Sept 30 meeting of the INDIA bloc in Delhi as he stayed put in Lucknow for filing of nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls by party candidates Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance Group President Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani. That Akhilesh sent MPs Harendra Malik and Mohibullah Nadvi to attend the Delhi meeting and did not depute any of the senior functionaries like Dharmendra Yadav or Dimple Yadav, did not go unnoticed.Political observers say the Congress itself might not have been very keen to see Akhilesh and his MP wife Dimple Yadav in the front rows as the couple had hogged the limelight during the Gen Z NEET paper leak protest march to Parliament in July. “During the protest, Dimple Yadav attending injured Gen Z protestors and Akhilesh Yadav’s police detention leading to protest that led to hours long traffic jam in Delhi stole the limelight. Maybe the Congress itself wanted undivided media focus this time, so they designed the march in that manner,” said a political observer.There is a general perception among political analysts that both the SP and Congress want to appear committed towards forging an alliance as their respective vote-base wants the two parties to come together and repeat the 2024 Lok Sabha poll magic. “In such a situation, which ever party is seen wanting will be held responsible for the mess up by the voters if the poll results go in favour of the BJP. Neither wants to take the blame and that seems to be the only glue that is holding the two together,” said an analyst. “Had it not been for their voters wanting an alliance, this could have gone hayware long back,” he added.In corridors of UP politics, Rahul Gandhi leading the show and Akhilesh missing from the centre stage was being seen as another sign of strain in SP-Congress relations which has been noticeable since a section of Congress functionaries have been making ‘unprovoked comments’ on prospects of alliance despite SP maintaining a studied silence on the issue.First signs of strain between SP-Congress relations were noticed when Congress UP in-charge Rajendra Gautum repeatedly underlined his party’s stand to seek ‘equal share’ during seat-sharing negotiations and Congress Saharanpur MP Imran Masood said the SP needs the alliance more than the Congress does. The SP chief thereafter, chairing a meeting of party MLAs for RS polls, said the party has started preparations for the Assembly polls on 350 seats.
