In yet another major jolt to Congress after the Haryana Assembly election injury, Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, denied the grand old party’s seat-sharing request for the by-election to 10 Assembly seats. The Samajwadi Party is a key member of the INDIA bloc.  

The Congress sought five of ten seats in the by-election, which the Samajwadi Party declined, noting parties respective performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Samajwadi Party announced candidates for six of the 10 Uttar Pradesh assembly seats where by-polls are due later this year. The Election Commission is yet to declare the date. 

Akhilesh Yadav led party has fielded Tej Pratap Yadav from Karhal, Naseem Solanki from the Sisamu seat, Mustafa Siddiqui from Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Ajit Prasad from Milkipur (Ayodhya), according to the party’s list issued on social media platform X. Shobhawai Verma and Jyodi Bind have been given party tickets from Katehari and Majhwan seats.

Reacting to the same, Samajwadi Party leader Ravidas Mehrotra slammed Congress, stating that they did not give a single seat to them in the Haryana election, but gave the entire state to BJP. He added that if Congress had an alliance with Samajwadi Party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), then the INDIA bloc would have been in power in the state. He asserted that they want to defeat BJP in the Uttar by-election, hence they have announced the list of 6 candidates. However, he clarified that his party is hopeful to form an alliance with Congress in the remaining 4 seats. 

Expressing surprise over the sudden announcement by Samajwadi Party, UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey said that no information was given to them on this. He added that there has been no discussion with the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc yet. He mentioned that as far as the announcement of seats and contesting elections is concerned, whatever decision the Coordination Committee of INDIA alliance takes, it will be accepted by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee. He remarked that possibilities of alliance always remain till the end. 

Meanwhile, the BJP in its third consecutive victory in Haryana, achieved its best performance, winning 48 seats, 11 more than the Congress.

The counting of votes for the Legislative Assembly election results in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir concluded on Tuesday, with the Election Commission announcing the mandate for the state and the Union Territory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Haryana BJP workers for the state’s hat-trick win while appreciating the party Karyakartas’s industrious efforts in the Union Territory.

Addressing the party workers in New Delhi after securing a mandate in the Haryana Assembly elections, PM Modi said the party’s victory in the state was an outcome of the hard work of party workers.

“Today in Haryana the guarantee of development has outweighed the sequence of lies. The people of Haryana have created a new history. To date, 13 elections have been held in Haryana, but this is the first time that a government which has completed two terms of 5 years each has got a chance for the third consecutive time in Haryana,” PM Modi said.

The Congress and National Conference alliance won the Union Territory elections, while BJP surprised the Opposition with its victory in the state.   

In Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference got 42 seats, and Congress had 6 seats. BJP- 29 seats, 3 for PDP, Jammu & Kashmir People Conference, CPI(M) and Aam Aadmi Party won one seat each and Independent – 7 seats.

In Haryana, BJP crossed the majority with 48 seats, while Congress has won 37 seats, 2 for INLD and 3 seats have been won by independent candidates.

On winning the Haryana Assembly election, PM Modi extended his gratitude to the people of Haryana for giving a clear majority to the BJP once again. “This is the victory of the politics of development and good governance. I assure the people here that we will leave no stone unturned to fulfil their aspirations,” he said in a post on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the massive victory of BJP in Haryana was a victory of the unwavering faith of farmers, poor, backward classes, soldiers and youth in the PM Modi-led govt. “People of Haryana completely rejected negative and divisive politics of Congress which divides people based on caste and region,” he said in a post on X.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, after winning the Assembly elections, said, “This is a historic day, and we’ve received the love and respect of the people of Haryana. They’ve approved the policies of PM Modi and the double-engine government, and the work done by (former Haryana CM) Manohar Lal Khattar.”  

The BJP, months before the Haryana Assembly elections, replaced its strongman Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister with low-profile OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini. This decision surprised many. Today, the BJP’s gamble paid off as Saini led the party to victory in the state elections. This came after a poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections in the state and defied exit poll predictions of a clean sweep for the Congress.

People have given a mandate to the BJP in Haryana for a third consecutive term on PM Modi government’s policies, achievements and way of functioning, Union Minister Manohar Lal said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Congress rejected the Haryana assembly results and said it would move the Election Commission of India.

Former CM and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the results in Haryana are totally unexpected, completely surprising and counter-intuitive. “It goes against ground reality. It goes against what the people of Haryana had made their minds up for, which was for change and transformation. I think under these circumstances, it is not possible for us to accept the results that have been announced today,” he added.

The Prime Minister also complimented JKNC for their commendable performance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

“I am proud of the BJP’s performance in Jammu and Kashmir. I thank all those who have voted for our Party and placed their trust in us. I assure the people that we will keep working for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. I also appreciate the industrious efforts of our Karyakartas,” he said.

PM Modi said the elections in Jammu and Kashmir have been very special since it held for the first time after the removal of Articles 370 and 35(A) and witnessed a high turnout, thus showing the people’s belief in democracy. “I compliment each and every person of Jammu and Kashmir for this,” he added.

On Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election results, Shah said: “PM Modi had promised peaceful elections in J&K, which witnessed transparent polls for first time since advent of terrorism.” “I congratulate EC, J&K administration, security forces and people for successful and historic elections.”  

“After 10 years the people have given their mandate to us. We pray to Allah that we meet their expectations,” said National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah after winning J&K in alliance with Congress.

He was hopefull that Opposition block INDIA alliance partners would fight along with his party to restore statehood in the UT. He said Omar Abdullah will become the Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir. “I am sad that they (Congress) have not won in Haryana. I think it happened due to their internal disputes,” he said on Congress performance in Haryana.

Former wrestler and Congress leader Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday won the Julana constituency, by a margin of 6015 votes, in the Haryana Legislative Assembly election. She defeated BJP candidate Yogesh Kumar.

Speaking to reporters after winning the Julana seats, she said: “This is the fight of every girl, every woman who chooses the path to fight. This is the victory of every struggle, of truth. I will maintain the love and trust that this country has given me.”

“Now that I have entered here, I will continue here. People have given me their love, I will have to work for them on ground. It is not possible to work on both simultaneously (politics and wrestling),” Phogat added.

On Congress trailing in the Haryana elections, Phogat requested to wait a little as the complete results have not yet come. “When we get the final certificate, results will be in our favour,” she said.

On her victory, wrestler Bajrang Punia congratulated the former Olympic wrestler and said the fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties but the fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country.

“Many congratulations to the country’s daughter Vinesh Phogat for her victory. This fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties. This fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country. And Vinesh emerged victorious,” he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the party appears set for a record third term in the state, said: “I would like to thank the people of Haryana. Many efforts were made to mislead the people of Haryana in the name of protests of farmers and wrestlers. However, people have praised the policies of BJP.”

Former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, alleged that he has the inputs that counting is being stopped at several places. “We are getting the majority. This is a game, the ball is sometimes here, sometimes there but we will do the final goal,” he said.

“As per the input I have with me, we are touching the majority. Congress is getting the majority. There are several seats that we have won…but the same is yet to be updated,” the senior Congress leader said.

Responding to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over his memorandum on the display of results on the EC website, the Commission said it unequivocally rejects the Congress’s attempt to surreptitiously give credence to irresponsible, unfounded and uncorroborated malafide narratives.