Times News NetworkLucknow: Scotching reports of rifts within the INDIA bloc, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said his party will contest the 2027 UP assembly polls in alliance with the Congress.“Samajwadi Party had, as apart of INDIA bloc, defeated BJP in Lok Sabha polls. The same alliance will again defeat (the BJP) in the UP Assembly polls due early next year,” Akhilesh told the media at a bhandara organised by a journalist association.The SP had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with Congress as its alliance partner.Speculation over the alliance’s future had intensified after some senior Congress leaders suggested the party should avoid a tie-up with the SP. The situation was further fuelled after a few Congress leaders paid a “courtesy visit” to BSP supremo Mayawati.The SP camp responded by dropping hints that the party was ready to go solo in assembly polls ‘if needed’.Akhilesh also attacked BJP govt in the state over poor health services, stating that primary health centres (PHCs) run by govt have been shut down giving rise to private medical facilities.“There are nearly 70 PHCs in the chief minister’s area of which only 6 are operational. Treatment is not available in Gorakhpur,” Akhilesh said speaking at the launch of news channel ‘Nation 27’.Over allegations of misappropriation of donations at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Akhilesh said govt had insulted ‘revered Shankaracharya Ji’. This was the recent face-off between Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and UP govt.“Those who have stolen the offerings will meet their end. All the fake saints will meet their end as well,” Akhilesh said.AIMIM unlikely to join INDIA blocLucknow: Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said it was highly unlikely that the existing shape and form of the opposition alliance will change thereby dismissing possibilities of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) being a part of the opposition bloc.Akhilesh’s response came to a question by the media over AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s recent statement where he said he was open to joining hands with any political outfit to defeat BJP.“The INDIA bloc that existed will continue to remain. We have just defeated the BJP. You should think about how such people have suddenly emerged. Many such forces will come and many people will try to benefit the BJP. The BJP has just lost. A defeated BJP will do whatever it can,” Akhilesh said.
