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Neerja Chowdhury
New Delhi, May 4: While the Congress hasn't yet decided on its poll allies, the dominant view in the party is that nationally it should go it alone and leave any necessary tie-ups to its state units.
Strategy wise this is a clever move, juxtaposed as it would be against the BJP's 18-party alliance, even though the BJP is trying to make a virtue of one leader, one manifesto and an agreed agenda for governance. In contrast, the ``leave-it-to-the-state-unit'' move, the Congress hopes, will help its anti-coalition, pro-stability theme song.
The Congress is trying to ally with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the BSP in UP and the RJD in Bihar. It will also repeat its traditional tie-ups with the RPI in Maharashtra and with the Kerala Congress and the IUML in Kerala. By projecting these as state-level arrangements, it's trying to get away from the coalition compulsions of present-day politics with which the middle classes are fed up.
The coming together of the BJP, DMK, PMK, MDMK, Tamizhga Congress of VazhapadyRamamurthy on one platform in Tamil Nadu has left little choice now for Jayalalitha and Congress to go in for an alliance despite the differences which crept up between the two parties following the failure to form an alternative government. Both need each other and exploratory talks have already begun.
In Bihar, Laloo has already indicated to Congress leaders that he will not put up any candidate against their five MPs in the just-dissolved Lok Sabha, and in return the Congress won't field anyone against his 17. What happens in the remaining constituencies has to be worked out and the Congress will be at Laloo's mercy in Bihar.
The state which will decide the composition of the 13th Lok Sabha, however, will be Uttar Pradesh. The Congress is playing it cool on the issue of an alliance with the BSP and this will happen only at the eleventh hour if it takes place. UPCC chief Salman Khursheed said, ``I have an open mind (on the alliance with the BSP) but it cannot be one sided.'' He was referring to the waythe seats were divided between the Congress and the BSP in 1996 elections. ``The Congress wants to fight its way into power and not go piggy back on someone else's shoulders,'' he said.
Meanwhile, the party has turned its guns at the Samajwadi Party, trying to paint to be in league with the BJP. Striking an aggressive posture, the Congress is coming out with posters to show Mulayam and the BJP shaking hands, with the blurb: ``Sarkar girana ya bachana, ek doosre ko sarhana, Yeh jalpan hai ya desh jalana, janata ne inka asli chehra pehchana.''
Much will depend on whether Sonia and daughter Priyanka Vadra contest the elections from UP. If they do, partymen feel, the situation will change dramatically in favour of the Congress. Besides Amethi, which used to be nursed by Sonia while Rajiv Gandhi used to campaign all over the country, and Rae Bareilly, from where Indira Gandhi contested elections are being considered.
Though there have been some voices that Sonia should concentrate on campaigning andnot contest at this stage, the majority view in the party is that having been declared the Congress's prime ministerial candidate, she cannot opt out now without damaging the party's prospects. She has also given the go-ahead to wean away one and all. A beginning was made today with the entry in the Congress of Rajpal Tyagi, sitting SP MLA.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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