LUCKNOW, May 7:
Future of the alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh seems to be in the doldrums. SP President Akhilesh Yadav has said that the alliance with Congress would continue, however there was no end to the speculations about party’s separation with the Congress.
While the top leaders of both the parties are consulting each other over election of the country’s next President, the state leaders of these parties have time and again advocated end of the tie-up.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi had recently talked with Mulayam Singh Yadav and sought his support to the joint candidate for President’s post. Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi also spoke to Akhilesh Yadav on the same issue.
Akhilesh also expressed his support to any secular alliance for the presidential poll scheduled to be held in July.
On the other hand, Akhilesh is also keeping all his option close to his heart after revolt with his uncle Shivpal Yadav, who has announced to form a new wing called Samajwadi Secular Morcha.
“At present, we are busy with the membership drive which will continue till June 15. First the party base would be strengthened, then only the issue of alliance would be taken care,” Akhilesh told the mediapersons here today.
Against the wishes of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh contested the recent State Assembly elections in alliance with the Congress, which resulted in a disaster for both the parties.
The SP-Cong alliance suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party as the alliance managed to secure only 54 seats (SP 47, Congress seven) against 325 of the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
UP Congress President Raj Babbar had recently ruled out the possibility of a tie-up with the SP for the coming urban local bodies elections in the State.
The SP has consistently played down the lack of interest of the Congress towards it saying the “friendship with the Congress will continue”.
A senior SP leader and MLA said that the party would have to re-consider its decision to ally with Congress.”When people of the country have rejected Congress, having an alliance with that party will only doom the prospect of the SP,” he said.
A Congress leader too expressed that had the party contested alone in the UP polls, the fate would have been different and the Congress could have won more seats.
However, Congress has decided to go solo in the urban local bodies polls in UP. The move is being seen as a signal to the end to the SP-Congress alliance forged before the recent UP Assembly polls. After the dismal performance in the last Assembly polls, speculation was rife that the two allies would part ways for the urban local bodies polls as the local Congress leaders had voiced opposition to the continuance of the tie-up.
Besides continuing the tie-up with the Congress, Akhilesh is also advocating an alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and other regional parties.
“There are certain political forces which would create obstacles and never allow alliance of SP with BSP. There are some contentious issues between the two parties and these can be sorted out at the political level,” Akhilesh said recently while speaking to a private news channel.
Soon after the recent Assembly elections, BSP chief Mayawati had offered to join hands with anti-BJP parties. Later Akhilesh had endorsed Mayawati’s idea.
In the past, SP and BSP had entered into an alliance and contested the 1993 Assembly elections, held a year after demolition of Babri Mosque.
The alliance broke in June 1995 and led to the infamous “State Guest House incident” in which SP cadres allegedly attacked Mayawati, who was then the general secretary of BSP. (UNI)
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