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Any U.P. alliance with Cong may take shape only after polls in five states
UPCC president Brijlal Khabri has consistently maintained that the state party is preparing for all the 80 Lok Sabha seats and the party’s leadership has to take a call about an alliance. Most other party leaders are keeping their fingers crossed and assert that much will depend on the outcome of the forthcoming assembly elections in five states.
Lucknow: A sharp division persists in Congress ranks over the issue of tie-up for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, be it with the Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance or alternatively with the BSP. However, any alliance in Uttar Pradesh may take shape only after viewing the party’s performance in the forthcoming elections to five state assemblies. The five states which would go to polls in coming months include Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram.
Amid efforts for unity in the opposition against the BJP, there appears a tilt in the Congress in favour of a possible alliance with the BSP, though tie-up with the SP is also not ruled out at this stage.
“We feel a change in mood in favour of an alliance with the BSP. Earlier, the Congress needed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party to woo the Muslims. This time, the Muslims appear to be favorably inclined towards the Congress. So, the party may keep both options open with a tilt in favour of the BSP. Much will depend on the Congress’ performance in elections to five state assemblies in coming months,” said a senior Congress leader.
“We can’t say anything about an alliance till discussions are held between Congress leadership and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The BSP, on the other hand, appears to be under the BJP’s pressure and this minimises the possibilities of an alliance between the Congress and the BSP,” said senior Congress leader PL Punia.
“The secular credentials of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP are in question. Both these parties are working under the BJP’s pressure. So, the Congress does not need any alliance with these parties in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” said former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Nirmal Khatri on phone.
UPCC president Brijlal Khabri has consistently maintained that the state party is preparing for all the 80 Lok Sabha seats and the party’s leadership has to take a call about an alliance. Most other party leaders are keeping their fingers crossed and assert that much will depend on the outcome of the forthcoming assembly elections in five states. “If the Congress performs well and wins polls in three of the five states, it will have better bargaining power. So, the issue of alliance will come up after the assembly election results,” said another leader.
A scrutiny of the results of recent Lok Sabha and assembly elections indicates towards the declining Congress’ support base. The party had secured 6.25 percent votes in 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections when the party contested in alliance with the SP. It got 6.36 percent votes in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The party, however, got only 2.33 percent votes in the 2022 UP assembly elections. It obviously needs an alliance partner to improve its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“An alliance is in the interest of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. Amid efforts for unity among the opposition parties, the issue of leadership is coming in the way of an alliance. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati may not like to see the Congress in leadership role. The Congress, however, may be in a better position to bargain if it repeats Karnataka-like performance in the forthcoming assembly elections. So, an alliance may take shape after the results of state assembly elections,” said Professor SK Dwivedi, former head of the department of political science, Lucknow University.
