New Delhi, February 16
Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s dinner meeting with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday night has revived hopes of a tie-up between the two parties for the coming Lok Sabha polls.
While confirming that Ms Gandhi had invited the BSP leader to her residence for dinner, Congress leaders refused to confirm if a Congress-BSP alliance had been finalised.
“I am hopeful of forging an alliance with the
BSP. The talks are going on,” senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee told mediapersons today. As for how the dialogue was progressing, Mr Mukherjee merely said, “When an alliance is finalised, it is announced. It is difficult to comment on the progress of an alliance.”
Congress leaders were unusually circumspect about the outcome of the latest round of talks between the two leaders. The last time Ms Gandhi and the BSP leader met for a meal, Ms Mayawati followed it up with a public declaration that she had not taken any decision on an alliance with the Congress and even indicated that she would contest the election on her own.
The BSP leader was apparently annoyed over media reports that the alliance was finalised and the two parties had even decided on the number of seats they would contest in Uttar Pradesh and in other states.
The Congress camp was both cautious and optimistic. Senior leaders maintained that had the alliance been called off, last night’s meeting would not have taken place. They also believe that the BSP leader was under tremendous pressure from the BJP on the Taj corridor case and that Ms Mayawati would not announce her decision till the elections were notified.
While hoping that the alliance would come through, the Congress is not pinning its hopes on it and is working towards contesting all the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh on their own. The pradesh election committee met in Lucknow last week to shortlist candidates. The AICC’s screening committee met here this evening for the same purpose.
Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders said the intention was to first finalise the names of about 35 candidates for seats where the party was relatively strong so that they could begin their campaign at the earliest.
He explained that the Congress organisation in the state was factionalised right down to the district and block levels. If the party could finalise the names early, it would enable the candidates to build their teams.
At the same time, efforts to galvanise party workers are going on with Ms Sonia Gandhi scheduled to go on her third “Jan Samparak” programme in central Uttar pradesh from February 19 to 21. A series of meetings have been planned as a follow-up on Ms Gandhi’s visits, party insiders said, adding that if these meetings are organised and addressed by the candidates themselves, their campaign would be more effective.
