Cong will not beg for alliance with SP,says Digvijay

“We decided to enter into an alliance with SP as it is a secular party unlike the BJP or the BSP,” he said. “The talks are stuck over a few seats as both parties have strong and capable candidates for them. But we cannot enter into seat sharing only on the basis of performance in the last election. Post delimitation,the equations have changed.”

The SP has been insisting on seats it had won in the last election and those where its candidates were runners-up. Further,it does not want to part with seats from where leaders like Raj Babbar and Beni Prasad Verma — who have since joined the Congress — had contested. It also wants seats in some other states.

The Congress,on its part,has made it clear that it will have only a state-level tie-up. In UP,it is insisting on certain seats and does not mind “friendly contests”.

“Accepting a friendly fight should not be difficult for SP as they have done it in the past too,” said Singh. “But whatever the case may be,the alliance has to be a respectful one.”

Singh said the Congress had again asked SP leaders to do a re-evaluation of all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. It has also asked SP to assess the strength and capability of candidates from both parties on seats where talks are stuck and then make a decision.

Asked about the final word on the alliance from Congress,he said the notification for the elections not being issued yet,”we have time for deliberations”. Singh took exception to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s allegation against Governor T V Rajeswar that he was acting as an agent of BSP. “They should not drag someone of the stature of a Governor into petty politics. Rajeshwarji is a good citizen and has had a respectful past,” he said.

Accusing the BSP of supporting communal forces like BJP,he said they had fielded criminal-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from Varanasi with the sole motive of helping BJP’s Dr Murli Manohar Joshi. As for Kalyan Singh,he said: “He is the concern of SP and they should handle it.”