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NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday backed the Trinamool Congress and DMK after their defeats in the recent assembly elections, while taking an apparent swipe at the Congress, saying, “we are not the ones who leave during difficult times”.Akhilesh’s remark was in the backdrop of the Congress snapping ties with ally DMK in Tamil Nadu and extending support to actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has added to rancour in the INDIA bloc.The 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have cast a foreboding shadow on the NDA’s rival bloc as Mamata and Stalin were two powerful regional leaders in the anti-BJP camp.“We are not the ones who leave (you) during the difficult times,” the former UP chief minister wrote sharing a photo on X from his meetings with Didi in Kolkata and DMK president MK Stalin.A day earlier, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister met Banerjee at her Kalighat residence and voiced support for the TMC leadership following its loss in West Bengal. He also alleged that the state elections were conducted on the “Uttar Pradesh model” through intimidation and manipulation.
Akhilesh Yadav calls on West Bengal chief minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee, in Kolkata on Thursday. (ANI photo)
The meeting gained political significance amid opposition efforts to reassess strategies after setbacks in multiple states and Banerjee’s push to revive and strengthen the INDIA bloc following the TMC’s defeat.Akhilesh Yadav, who led Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017, accused the BJP, the Election Commission and “underground elements” of using “multi-layered mafia tactics” during the Bengal polls.“What happened in Uttar Pradesh was repeated in Bengal. Opposition polling agents were threatened, and votes were conducted under fear. Central forces were used to ensure the defeat of the opposition,” he had alleged.
Akhilesh Yadav spoke to the media after a meeting with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata. (PTI photo)
“We remember when fair elections were held here, Didi became the chief minister. This time the elections were conducted with multilayered mafia-style manipulation. What BJP did in Uttar Pradesh was just a trial. Learning from that, they looted the entire election,” Akhilesh alleged.“BJP, the Election Commission and underground operatives together conducted this election. Officials were lured with promises of higher posts. Voting happened under the pressure of 3,00,000 central force personnel,” he said.Akhilesh also expressed concern over the security of Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.Referring to the killing of Suvendu Adhikari’s aide Chandranath Rath, Akhilesh said Union home minister Amit Shah was responsible for the incident.The TMC, DMK and SP are all constituents of the opposition INDIA alliance.In West Bengal, the BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, crossing the two-thirds mark and bringing an end to the TMC’s uninterrupted 15-year rule. The Mamata Banerjee-led party was reduced to 80 seats.In Tamil Nadu, the DMK won only 59 seats in the 234-member assembly.
