Congress confirms alliance with Samajwadi Party, Sheila Dikshit withdraws as CM face

The Congress today confirmed it is forming an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, the Congress's chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh, Sheila Dikshit, has said she is withdrawing from the race since there cannot be two CM faces.

"There will be a Congress and Samajwadi Party alliance in the upcoming UP election. The details about it will be decided in the coming days. For now, we can say there will be a Congress-SP alliance under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

Azad, however, dismissed the alliance as a replica of the Bihar-style Grand Alliance. "As of now, it is an alliance of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party. We will think about a 'Maha-Gathbandhan' in the coming days," he said.

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Meanwhile, three-time Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has said she is withdrawing "gracefully" from the Uttar Pradesh chief ministerial race.

"I would like to gracefully withdraw as we cannot have two CM candidates for the elections," Dikshit said.

The 78-year-old veteran, however, welcomed the alliance. "The talks are on about a SP-Congress alliance. It will benefit UP. I will do what the high command decides," she said.

The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh election will be held from February 11 to March 8. The votes will be counted on March 11.

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