SP-Cong relations will worsen without poll alliance: Amar

While the Congresss Central Election Committee discussed a possible SP-Congress alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls...

While the Congresss Central Election Committee discussed a possible SP-Congress alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls,the SP warned the Congress that relations between these two parties would worsen if the alliance did not materialise.

If we SP and Congress fail to seal our alliance,the bitterness between the two parties will reach a point of no return, SP General Secretary Amar Singh told a select gathering of media persons at his residence on Saturday evening. However,he struck a note of optimism when he said the situation has not yet reached that point.

Singhs caution to the Congress was followed by his apprehension about the Congresss secret dealings with Mayawatis BSP,despite running the UPA with the SPs help. We are still apprehensive about whether the Congress has any track-II diplomacy with the BSP, he said.

Singh claimed the BSP had decided to withdraw its Muslim candidate from Rampur to benefit the Congress. He also targeted UP governor TV Rajeswar,calling him a window between the Congress and the BSP.

Rajeswar could be Congresss window to both the BSP and SP. When he can bring two strange bedfellows like the SP and the Congress together,it indicates that he is no ordinary governor. He is an active political manager to the political masters of the day, said Singh.

Singhs comments came even as the Congress election committee appeared to be veering towards an alliance with the SP. The focus was on UP and the alliance with SP was discussed during the CEC deliberations today, Digvijay Singh,AICC general secretary in-charge of UP,told reporters on Saturday.

With the SP already having announced its candidates from 53 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP,AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said the Congress too would come out with its list soon.

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But talks on seat sharing are unlikely to be smooth. Sources said SP chief Mulayam Singh,during a meeting of SPs highest decision making body on Friday,maintained that SP could not offer more than 15 seats to the Congress.