Samajwadi Party and Congress were allies in Uttar Pradesh in 2016 assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav in one such joint rally.

The Congress party's hopes to power through the big ticket 2019 parliamentary polls riding high on a strong cohesive coalition seems to be crumbling.

While the party has had its share of run-ins with Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, on Tuesday former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav made it clear to party leaders that it is all set to go solo in 2019.

Though the Congress party leadership brushed it aside as 'posturing' and a 'bargain tactic' by Akhilesh, a section of the party maintained that by weakening the 'united front of the Opposition' Akhilesh was spoiling his own chances of 'revival.'

In a meeting in Lucknow with district heads of SP, the party leadership received resounding support to the idea of not joining hands with the Congress.

Most leaders pointed out that an analysis of the recently concluded local body polls showed that an alliance with the Congress yielded no positive results.

"It will be the party president's decision and he (Akhilesh Yadav) has our backing on this. In UP, there is only BJP and SP. Congress has no existence. In the recent local body elections we realised that instead of defeating the BJP, Congress was against us," Naresh Agarwal, SP Rajya Sabha MP told Mail Today.

As newly elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi took charge late last month, the party's top leadership has repeatedly projected a new generation of leaders at the centre of a strong coalition for 2019 with Akhilesh, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and DMK chief Stalin joining hands with Rahul to take on the might of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

"All secular and progressive political parties need to come together as one strong force. That is the need of the hour. It is possible that the Samajwadi Party is yet again trying to bargain.

"Also as the party chief, Akhilesh would want to send out a message to the party cadre that they will be given priority and energise his cadre.

"Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav are on very good terms and there is no falling out as such," said a senior party functionary requesting anonymity.

With the exit of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was considered the glue to a united Opposition, the Left parties too have distanced itself from Congress.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has been at loggerheads with the party in her home state while Akhilesh's open message to the party cadre to go solo further hurts the party's attempts to keep the Opposition flock together.

UP Pradesh Congress Committee chief Raj Babbar could not be reached for a comment despite repeated attempts.