New Delhi, August 31
Although the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) made a strong presence in the 70-odd Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra in the recent Lok Sabha poll, the Congress does not feel the need to have an alliance with it.

Party leaders, who have been touring the state in preparation for the October 13 Assembly election, are of the view that the Congress could counter the BSP’s impact by consolidating its ongoing alliance with the various RPI factions in its effort to retain its support base among the Dalits.

An analysis of the Lok Sabha results has revealed that the BSP polled anything from 2,000 to 17,000 votes in 70-odd Assembly constituencies, denting the Congress-RPI hold on the Dalit vote. This was particularly so in the Vidharbha and Marathwada regions where the Congress fared poorly in the last Lok Sabha election.

Party sources admit that the BSP has emerged to be a threat but feel that if the Congress can have a smooth seat-sharing arrangement with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the RPI factions, it could hold on to its traditional support base. The party is also hoping that having a Dalit like Sushil Kumar Shinde as Chief Minister will help in this effort. On the other hand, his installation has hurt the powerful Marathas who are apparently still smarting over the Vilasrao Deshmukh’s removal.

With a large number of Congress rebel candidates contesting on BSP tickets, the party will have to do some deft election management to avoid a repeat in the Assembly elections. This could create problems in ticket distribution since there is a strong view in the party that a substantial number of sitting legislators be dropped in favour of newer faces.

In addition, it was stated, Congress president Sonia Gandhi will have to crack the whip to end the perennial infighting in the state unit or else the Congress would have to pay a heavy price.

AICC leaders admit they have a tough contest ahead but feel the Congress-NCP alliance is going into the Maharashtra election with an advantage. Unlike the Lok Sabha poll when the Congress was not perceived to be a winner, having a government in the state and at the Centre could help galvanise the party cadres. Ms Sonia Gandhi’s rising popularity and a sympathy wave in favour of an ailing Sharad Pawar are other factors favouring the ruling combine.