The Congress parting ways with the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh seems a formality now. Differences have been growing within the coalition, with the state Congress leaders either opposing the state government’s decisions or complaining of being sidelined on several important decisions of the Samajwadi Party government. ‘‘We are never taken into confidence on important decisions despite the fact that it was because of our support that Mulayam could form the government,’’ said party leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh. The Congress also accused Mulayam for not forming a coordination committee despite giving an assurance for the same, last August. But the dissent became public for the first time today, when Congress workers held state-wide demonstrations in protest against the decision of abolishing nine districts and four divisional headquarters of the state. Congress leaders held dharnas in a number of district headquarters and demanded that the decision be taken back as it had generated a mass movement. ‘‘We seek an explanation from the CM as to why four districts held by SP or its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal legislators were spared. The party has decided to oppose the decision tooth and nail,’’ claimed state Congress chief Jagdambika Pal. Though the Congress leaders avoided any categorical remark on support withdrawal to the Mulayam government, in private conversation they admitted that earlier the party leadership decided to pull out of the government the better it would be. ‘‘We should make our political intentions clear, especially when the Congress is giving indications of entering into a pre-election tie up with the Bahujan Samaj Party. The SP and the BSP cannot go together and in coming polls the BSP can be more helpful to us than the SP,’’ claimed a party functionary on condition of anonymity. The BSP has already made it clear that it would open its cards (on seat sharing) only after the Congress ended its association with the Mulayam government in the state. However, the withdrawal of support by 14 Congress MLAs may not upset the SP government as it already has the required 210 MLAs. But the move will definitely send out a strong political message.
