Lucknow:
Two broad questions have been acting as a hurdle in the INDIA bloc talks in Uttar Pradesh: how many and which seats will the Samajwadi Party give up for the Congress to contest? The spat has spilt out into the public domain. At least two MPs from either side have turned the disagreement over seat distribution into a personality clash, with both promoting their respective leaders as the spearhead of the combined front. Exacerbating an already delicate situation is a raging debate within the Congress about whether to demand more seats from the Akhilesh Yadav-led party or settle for constituencies where it is organisationally and politically strong.
The two parties have already been squabbling over the seats deal. However, Samajwadi Party MP from Kairana, Iqra Hasan, on Tuesday touched a raw nerve by stating that Akhilesh Yadav is the only one who could defeat the BJP. “On its own, the Congress won’t be able to achieve much,” she added.
The remark did not go down well with the Congress. Saharanpur MP Imran Masood countered Hasan, claiming it is Rahul Gandhi who “unnerves” the BJP.
“Rahul ji has done the hard work and created a favourable atmosphere. So make no mistake, nothing is possible without Rahul ji, and no one should have any doubts about this,” Masood told PTI.
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He didn’t stop at eulogising his leader. He warned the Samajwadi Party of a fate similar to the Trinamool Congress, which split into three pieces after the BJP dislodged it from power in West Bengal. “People from the TMC were also saying a lot. Look at what happened in Bengal. Let us move together, and we will remain in peace,” he said.
The public exchange reflects an internal struggle between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
According to sources, several Congress leaders, including UP in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam and Imran Masood, are constantly and deftly pressuring Akhilesh Yadav to consent to a swift seat-sharing agreement. They want more seats for the party.
Masood has warned the SP that the Congress might chart a different course if the seat-sharing deal is delayed.
Samajwadi Party leaders’ counter centred around their assertion that the Congress is in a weak position in UP.
Rumbling Within Congress
What makes the negotiations interesting is the fact that there has been rumbling within the Congress as to what path to take while seeking seats from the Akhilesh Yadav-led party. Sources indicate that some senior leaders favour more seats, while others back bagging those seats where the party is organisationally and politically strong.
The Congress politicians who demand a larger number of seats for the party argue that Rahul Gandhi’s stance on various issues has created the necessary momentum. Those opposed to the idea, according to sources, say that if they continue to press for more seats, the SP will offer those seats where the Congress can’t win.
A senior UP Congress leader said in an off-the-record conversation that demanding more seats could prove to be detrimental to the chances of the alliance in defeating the BJP. He argued that seats should be winnable. Many within the party agree with this opinion.
Amid the seat-sharing talks, both parties have been trying to attract the crucial Dalit vote bank, which is about one-fifth of the state’s population and remains fragmented as Mayawati’s BSP declines.
According to high-ranking sources, it is almost certain that the UP elections will be fought in an alliance. However, Congress sources have emphasised that the final decision on the seat-sharing agreement will be taken by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav.
