In another sign of the frayed ties between the two INDIA allies amidst seat negotiations in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Wednesday indicated that he might not participate in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, saying that “the Congress and BJP don’t invite me for their programmes”.

Asked at a press conference in Lucknow whether he would join Rahul’s yatra, which is expected to enter UP on February 14 from Chandauli in the east and remain in the state for 10 days, Akhilesh said: “The BJP doesn’t invite us for their programme, and the Congress also doesn’t invite us. The Samajwadis have a separate fight. We are working towards strengthening the alliance (INDIA). We are working to remove the BJP.”

Contacted by The Indian Express, UP Congress chief Ajay Rai said invitations for the yatra had gone out to all INDIA allies. “The invitations have been sent by Rahulji and (Mallikarjun) Khargeji. I can show a copy too… Akhileshji has also been sent an invite along with other INDIA leaders,” he said.

Another Congress leader said that Opposition leaders who are part of the INDIA alliance are likely to get an invite, like they did during Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. However, that time too, BSP chief Mayawati, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary and Akhilesh had all stayed from the yatra that covered some districts in western UP. The RLD, though, had sent some leaders to take part in the yatra.

After entering UP from Chandauli on February 14, the yatra is expected to cover at least 15 districts, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi’s seat Rae Bareli, Rahul’s former seat Amethi, state capital Lucknow, Prayagraj, and other districts, before moving into Rajasthan.

“The schedule is still not finalised. Once that happens, we will send invites to INDIA alliance leaders, like we did last time. Whether Akhileshji will attend or not, depends on him,” a senior Congress leader said.

The fresh quibble comes as the Congress and SP held a meeting on Wednesday evening in New Delhi to discuss seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said, “Aadhaa raasta teh kar liya, aur baaki aadhaa bhi teh kar lenge (We have covered half the distance and we will cover the rest).”

Asked whether the BSP would join the alliance, Yadav said: “You should ask the BSP if they will join… We are here to talk to the Congress and the Congress is here to talk to us.”

The Congress is keen for the Mayawati-led party to come within the INDIA fold. However, the SP, which sees itself as the dominant opposition force in UP, is believed to be opposed to this. Earlier this week, Mayawati reiterated that she would fight the Lok Sabha polls alone.

On Wednesday, Akhilesh also flagged off the party’s ‘Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao Samajwadi PDA (Pichchde, Dalit, Adivasi) Yatra’, which aims to take to the people the ideologies of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Mulayam Singh Yadav.

“The fight of the Samajwadis is to ensure respect for farmers, poor, Backwards, Dalits. The youth are roaming around with their CVs. People promised jobs and held big programmes and events… can we forget the events? Navy and Army personnel came. They promised ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make in UP’. In the Assembly, the government said MoUs worth Rs 40 lakh crore had been signed. What happened to the MoUs? Where is that investment? Where is the data?” said Akhilesh, adding that hospitals in the state too were “in a bad state”.

The SP chief also accused Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of running the Assembly, taking over the role of the Speaker. “The government doesn’t want anyone to question it, and raise their voice. Often, the Opposition has asked direct questions and they haven’t been answered,” he said, citing examples like data on recruitment of sub-divisional magistrates in the state and on stray cattle.