Congress always betrays Mahagathbandhan, says SP spokesperson on RS polls

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Ashutosh Verma on Tuesday slammed the Congress party for allegedly betraying the Mahagathbandhan during the Rajya Sabha elections, saying that despite whips being issued, Congress legislators failed to participate, leaving the alliance embarrassed.

“In politics, especially in Indian politics, the Rajya Sabha election is very important and reflects your numerical strength and loyalty towards your party, and even though the whip is issued, members from the Congress party in the Mahagathbandhan did not take part,” Verma told IANS adding, “Congress always betrays the Mahagathbandhan at the last moment, causing the alliance to be embarrassed.”

SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav, commenting on the Rajya Sabha election results, hinted at internal confusion in the Opposition ranks, particularly regarding cross-voting. “Why should I accuse anyone? Something must have happened — otherwise, why would there be cross-voting? It happens when a party in power instructs members to cross-vote, saying we won’t take your membership,” he said, underscoring the alleged lapses in Opposition coordination.

BJP leaders hailed the results as a testament to the NDA’s unity and electoral strength.

Bihar BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi called it a “big victory, a huge win for the NDA,” highlighting the contrast between a united NDA and a divided Opposition.

“The Opposition is divided, as evidenced yesterday when Congress could not even choose its own leader. They were so unsure of their legislators that they had to keep them confined to hotels and their homes,” he said.

Similarly, BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo congratulated the NDA while blaming the Opposition parties for absenteeism during voting.

“First of all, congratulations. The NDA has achieved a major victory and success. Now, if the RJD and Congress MLAs do not want to come and cast their votes, it is their party’s responsibility to ensure their presence. With so many abstentions, even the so-called ‘comfortable position’ now seems to be coming to an end,” Shah Deo told IANS.

NDA won 21 out of 37 Rajya Sabha seats, reinforcing the BJP’s hold over the Upper House. The INDIA Bloc secured 13 seats, while the BJD won one, and counting for two Haryana seats has been temporarily stalled.

Of the total 37 seats, 26 MPs were elected unopposed, including seven from the BJP and one each from its allies: Shiv Sena, Republican Party of India (Athawale), NCP, AIADMK, Pattali Makkal Katchi, and the United People’s Party Liberal. The Congress won five seats unopposed, the Trinamool Congress four, the DMK three, and the NCP(SP) one.

The results underscore the BJP-led NDA’s electoral strength and the challenges facing the Opposition coalition in maintaining unity amid internal disagreements.

IANS