SP may get 6 seats in State as Cong gives shape to poll tie-ups

NEW DELHI, Dec 12: For the first time after it brought the UF government down, the Congress tonight seemed to be giving shape to its poll s...

NEW DELHI, Dec 12: For the first time after it brought the UF government down, the Congress tonight seemed to be giving shape to its poll strategy with alliances being hammered out with major regional players.

The mood at the CWC meeting was upbeat as members were told that the party was "close" to striking alliances with Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and Laloo Yadav’s RJD in Bihar. Others in the list are: Ajit Singh’s BKKP in UP, Kanshi Ram’s BSP in Madhya Pradesh, Shankersinh Vaghela’s RJP in Gujarat and Jayalalitha’s AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

Although the formalities are still being worked out — the final picture is expected close to the poll notification — indications were that the SP might get six constituencies in Maharashtra including two in Mumbai and 35 in UP, the RJD 40 in Bihar, BKKP five in UP, BSP 15 in Madhya Pradesh, RJP 12 in Gujarat and AIADMK 23 in Tamil Nadu. The strategy is: the party’s main target is the BJP, not the UF.

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Given this arithmetic, the leadership feels that the party can only improve its position. However, with some regional players still keeping their options open — the SP has recently been said that it wasn’t going "soft" on the Congress — these alliances are easier said than made.

Congress chief Sitaram Kesri also indicated tonight that the party was keen on heading the next All PCC chiefs and CLP leaders were also present to finalise the Congress election strategy. The meeting took about four hours and the main points were the election alliances and the party’s resources to fight the election.

Congress gives shape to poll alliances

One persistent point was who would lead the party in the campaign with Kesri admitting he was still trying to persuade Sonia Gandhi. He said that so far nothing had emerged but he would carry on. As for campaign finance, Kesri asked CWC members to concentrate on raising funds for the poll. It was said to be one of the issues discussed between CWC member K Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy and Jayalalitha at their meeting yesterday in Chennai.

Sharad Pawar said that his meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav today was a “success” and that the Congress was starting on a bright note in Maharashtra. An upbeat Arjun Singh said that the BSP would agree to fight 15 Lok Sabha seats in MP leaving the Congress with 25. Kesri was said to be confident that the BKKP and the RJD have agreed to go along with the Congress. He told the CWC that details would be worked out with former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in their upcoming meeting. Likewise, Kesri also told the CWC that he is talking to Kanshi Ram and that he expects the BSP leader to veer around even in UP.