BJP, Pawar draw Cong, SP closer

They failed to reach common ground in Uttar Pradesh, but in Gujarat, where the stakes are much higher, the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP)...

They failed to reach common ground in Uttar Pradesh, but in Gujarat, where the stakes are much higher, the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are inching towards an electoral alliance. Senior SP leader and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s trusted lieutenant Amar Singh today held a detailed meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The two also spoke yesterday over telephone.

Sonia, sources say, is keen on killing two birds with one stone. On the face of it, the move would put in place a ‘‘broad-based, secular front’’ — in contrast to the failed third front — to take on the BJP, which is riding high on the current communal divide. But more importantly, point out observers, Sonia wants to isolate her bete noire Sharad Pawar, whose Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has already made inroads into Saurashtra and other areas of Gujarat.

Commenting on the Sonia-Amar Singh meeting, a senior Congress leader tonight held there were many a slip between the cup and the lip and that the actual alliance, if at all it was materialised, was still far away. ‘‘Sure, our objective No.1 is to defeat the BJP. For that, we will be looking at the strength and organisation of other, like-minded parties. As such, any constructive alliance is possible,’’ he told The Indian Express.

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For obvious reasons, both the Congress and SP are keeping their ongoing negotiations under wraps. Sources, however, said Mulayam was keen on getting his nominees for at least eight seats which could be fought jointly by the two parties. Sonia is yet to respond and is consulting senior Congress leaders. Late this evening, she met AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Kamal Nath, and a few other leaders.

The alliance being floated by Pawar in the troubled state has already made politicians sit up and take notice. Of late, he has successfully roped in the Gujarat Jan Shakti — a breakaway faction of the Congress, headed by former Chief Minister Chabil Das Mehta — as well as the Lok Janshakti of Ram Vilas Paswan.

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