“The SP is prepared to contest all 80 LS seats in UP if INDIA partnership with the Congress stays, the SP would contest no less than 65 seats,” he said at a party meeting.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is an opposition front announced by the leaders of 28 parties to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against the ruling BJP.

In Uttar Pradesh, the INDIA bloc has four constituents – SP, Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Apna Dal (K).

“The SP is fully capable of defeating the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in UP single-handedly and had there not been dishonesty in elections in the state, the SP would have formed the government after the 2022 UP Assembly polls. Therefore, the party must ensure full alertness to foil any attempts of dishonesty in the LS polls,” said Yadav, according to party sources in the meeting.

Yadav said: “We only sought six seats from the Congress in MP where the SP is in a stronger position. But the Congress backtracked and fielded a candidate even on a seat that the SP won in the 2018 polls. We, too, will see when the LS polls come.”

Tensions erupted between two of the INDIA bloc partners last month when the SP accused the Congress of betrayal after the latter did not leave any seats for the former in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh polls. The SP later fielded candidates on 40 seats in MP.