Cong open to sharing power

Indicating that Congress was game for participating in an alternative government in Uttar Pradesh, Sonia said that Congress general secretary Nawal Kishore Sharma had already met UP Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri along with other Opposition leaders of the state.

‘‘The Governor has not yet given an answer. The situation is fluid,’’ Sonia told a press conference, winding up a two-day conclave of party CMs. On the possibility of an alliance at the Centre, she said: ‘‘Congress is certainly open to the idea of working with other parties to defeat fundamentalist forces.’’

This clearly indicates the party coming to terms with the lack of options to get to the Centre. It is also because in four states which together make 200 seats in Lok Sabha, the Congress has minimal presence.

In Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 seats in the Lok Sabha, the Congress could have an alliance with both Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal, which could give it the numbers.

In West Bengal, which sends 42 MPs, the Congress would be looking towards the constituents of the Left Front for a tie-up. In Tamil Nadu, which has 39 seats in Lok Sabha, the Congress is waiting for the BJP to decide between the DMK and the AIADMK after which it will make its choice.

In Bihar, which sends 40 MPs, the Congress will turn to its present ally in the state, Laloo Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Indicating that her party was concerned about these states, the Congress president said, ‘We know ‘Uttar Pradesh is one of the important states and we have just appointed the president of the Pradesh Congress Committee. We have a series of programmes at the organisational level in all these states.’’