MEERUT
: As CM
Akhilesh Yadav looks to emerge on top after bitter in-fighting in the
Samajwadi Party, the
Congress is hoping to get a larger seat-share in their negotiations with the junior Yadav, who is said to be in favour of an alliance with the Congress. Congress sources told TOI that UPCC has communicated to AICC that an alliance is “necessary to stop the BJP” in UP and is crucial for the Congress’s chances in 2019.
“From the very beginning, we had been very clear with the SP that we see Akhilesh Yadav as the face of development in UP. Ghulam Nabi Azad was negotiating on behalf of the Congress and he said that the only way we would join an alliance is if Akhilesh Yadav was the chief ministerial candidate. After the rift in the party, while the SP will likely find a solution, it is quite clear that Akhilesh will emerge as the leader of the party. That scenario is desirable for us. Because of Congress’s affinity for him, he has been keener on the alliance than his father and uncle,” a Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.
The UPCC source added, “This also gives us more room to negotiate for a larger seat-share. Shivpal Yadav was willing to concede only 60 out of 403 seats while Akhilesh was in favor of giving us more. Even in the parallel list that Akhilesh came out with, he left out a few crucial seats. I think it was a strategic message for the Congress. Besides, at this point it seems that they need us more than we need them. They will need the organizational strength of the Congress when Shivpal loyalists desert them.”
The source, however, underlined the importance of the alliance for the Congress as well. Over the last few days, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) leaders have been giving regular “ground reports” to the All India Congress Committee (AICC). “Whenever we are asked for inputs, UPCC has suggested to AICC that they should work towards cementing an alliance. We need to stop the
BJP in UP if we are to be in a strong position in 2019. A BJP win in 2017 will seriously dent our chances in 2019. For that, we told AICC, that we should even be willing to make a few compromises when necessary.”