The Congress has decided that it will not field candidates against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav as a gesture of courtesy, according to ndtv.com.

The Samajwadi Party, despite its 'on again off again'' relationship with the Congress, does not field candidates against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Rae Bareli in parliamentary elections. This time, the two parties have not renewed their alliance after the disastrous outcome of their 2017 joint venture, adds ndtv.com.

Akhilesh is contesting the assembly polls for the first time from Karhal, a seat under his father Mulayam Singh's stronghold Mainpuri against BJP's Union Minister SP Singh Baghel, who started his political career with the SP.

Shivpal Yadav, who quit the SP and formed his own political group ahead of the 2017 state polls, joined hands with Akhilesh for this election as part of the rainbow coalition the Samajwadi leader stitched up to take on the BJP.