Ex- Congress leader Salim Khan joined SP ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Khan alleged that there is a "communication gap" in Congress.
"I have joined SP as there's communication gap in Congress, created by 2nd-line leadership which doesn't want ground-level workers to meet national leadership. I wanted to meet Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi, but 2nd line leadership didn't let me," he said.
Khan was Congress's candidate from Amroha constituency in Uttar Pradesh polls.
Meanwhile, the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections has been done successfully the district recorded a 59.87% turnout in votes. The first phase of polls covered 58 assembly constituencies across 11 districts of the state. These districts include Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Agra, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Mathura.
As many as 623 candidates were in the fray on 58 assembly seats. The main battle in this election was between BJP and Samajwadi Party. Other political parties, including the BSP and the Congress, are also expected to be in a strong position in some seats.