Lucknow: After Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra clearly said that party was not averse of a pre poll alliance to prevent BJP from retaining the power in Uttar Pradesh, now speculation was rife about with whom Congress will ally in the 2022 assembly polls on the state.
Though there are contradictory views of the party with whom Congress can join hands, it seems every Congress leaders in the state have now made up their minds about the alliance which had in the past given the party organisation a severe jolt.
But the leaders of the Congress are very sure of the party going with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati rather than with Samajwadi Party, which whom they had a failed alliance in 2017 assembly polls.
State Congress leaderships were also in talk with smaller parties like Aam Admi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal, Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) led by Om Prakash Rajbhar and even with Chandrashekhar Azad.
A senior party leader told UNI here on Tuesday that talks with BSP were in advanced stage.
"As per the information, Congress is demanding 200 seats of the total 403 with BSP but it seems that an agreement would be reached to around 175 seats," the leader said.
He also ridiculed about the political view on how could Congress ally with BSP in UP when the party is fighting against Congress in Punjab in alliance with Akali Dal. "Nowadays such thing happens in politics and it was witnessed in West Bengal and Kerala polls, where Congress was fighting against Left in Kerala and had pre poll alliance in West Bengal," he said.
The leader however ruled out of any alliance with SP after the bitter experience in the 2017 assembly polls for both the parties.
But another faction of the Congress says that if there was any chance of party going for pre poll alliance with BSP, then Priyanka would not have gone for lunch and breakfast at the residence of Nasimuddin Siddiqui, a staunch critic of Mayawati. Mr Siddiqui was the minister in the BSP regime, but left the party after his dispute with Mayawati.
It is also said that Congress alliance during UP polls will depend lot on the national alliance led by Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar who could be joined by Akhilesh Yadav and RJD to defeat BJP to repeat their feat like West Bengal.
Congress could be forced to join SP for a bigger alliance in UP to defeat the BJP.
But the Congress leaders are united on one issue that the organisation would be at stake once again if the party goes for alliance.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had clearly said that Congress will not compromise on dismantling the organisation, which has been reorganised up to nyay Panchayat level.
It is evident that even if Congress contests 50 per cent of the assembly seats, then too party organisation in remaining 50 per cent area will go inactive in the elections. (UNI)