Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, during a function in Lucknow, bared his heart and said, “ If the SP and the Congress join hands, our tally will touch 300.” This number is far above the 202 mark needed to secure a majority in the state assembly.
Against the backdrop the bitter feud in Samajwadi Party, there has been a few developments which gave hints of this possible alliance in the upcoming assembly elections. Both Akhilesh and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi are keen on the alliance and a formal announcement in this regard may happen anytime, sources from both camps admitted.
Congress' poll strategist Prashant Kishor had met SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav a few months ago and in November, he had twice met with Akhilesh.
Besides, there have been posters of Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav (wife of Akhilesh) put up at various places by local leaders, suggesting that an alliance would soon be formed. According to Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi, posters of Priyanka had first appeared in Allahabad and a few other places.
Although no leader has openly admitted that there will be such an alliance, privately they all conform it. “All modalities have been decided in this connection; only the alliance needs to be announced formally, which will be done once SP’s election symbol dispute is settled by the EC,” a senior Sp leader told THE WEEK.
According to Congress sources, the party vice president has given the green signal in this regard to UP poll in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad.
After Akhilesh’s successful coup against his father on January 1, the work on this alliance has been accelerated by both the camps. The chief minister's camp is aware that if they are to outplay Mulayam’s camp and score over other political rivals in the polls, they need support from other political outfits, and the Congress, as of now, is their best bet.
If the alliance is formed, the Akhilesh camp is willing to give the Congress 80 to 90 seats in assembly constituencies where the party was first or second runner up in the 2012 assembly polls. The Congress, however, has been demanding around 125 seats.
Akhilesh camp believes that though Congress’ future is not very bright in the UP assembly elections, an alliance with the national party would be politically beneficial to the SP in the grand scheme of things.
The Congress too knows that an alliance would benefit the party. If the SP falls short of 50-60 legislators to form the government in UP, an alliance would ensure that the party retains power and for the Congress, a tie would would possibly revive its political fortunes in a state in which the party has been facing political exile since 1989.
Although the idea of a grand alliance in UP was initially proposed by Mulayam, it didn't take off due to the feud in the party. Now that Akhilesh is in control of the party, other political players are only too eager to form an alliance with the aim of preventing the BJP coming to power in the state.
Besides the Congress, Akhilesh camp has been considering to join hands with other small parties like Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh which has a considerable influence in Jat Land (some areas of western UP, adjoining Delhi and Haryana), Apna Dal (Krishna Patel faction) which has limited influence in Allahabad and surrounding areas. A surprise inclusion can be the TMC which has one member in the state assembly. Recently, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was in UP to take part in a public rally.
Interestingly, despite the many reports on the Congress–SP poll pact, the second rung leaders are not confirming anything on record. The UP Congress head Raj Babbar said, “There is no information about alliance. Of course talks are in air in this regard. The state unit has sent names of contestants to central leadership. Hope soon the names will be announced.”
Another Congress leader P.L Punia said, “We have no information about the alliance. We are busy with poll preparations. Let us see what the central leadership decides about the names of candidates.”
