Ahead of results, Congress reaches out to SP

NEW DELHI: Desperate to rebuild bridges with SP, Congress on Thursday, fielded Digvijay Singh, the architect of the party���s grand revival strategy in Uttar Pradesh, to reach out to SP general secretary Amar Singh.

The two have had an antagonistic relationship since SP and Congress attempted to work out a pre-poll alliance in the state.

In what appears to be a clear diktat from the top leadership, the Congress general secretary telephoned Mr Amar Singh asking him to forget the past. Ostensibly, the afternoon call was to enquire about the SP general secretary���s health. Interestingly, Mr Digvijay Singh made the telephone call just a few hours after he had made disparaging remarks about the SP leader.

Once indicated that the senior Congress leader needs to back off, Mr Digvijay Singh went the whole hog. He asked Mr Amar Singh to ���forgive��� him if hurt by his comments in the course of the elections. The SP general secretary, who is believed to have conveyed similar sentiments, also made it clear that what the Congress leader did in Rampur was unacceptable.

The two leaders have had a contentious relationship dating back to the run up to the elections when Congress and SP sought to work out a pre-poll alliance. Neither had been shy about attacking the other in public or through the media. Mr Digvijay Singh had consistently opposed the idea of a pre-poll alliance with SP.

A votary of the ���going solo��� option, the senior leader is the Congress general secretary incharge of Uttar Pradesh. Given his disposition, Mr Singh was seen to be responsible for the breakdown in the alliance talks in the run up to the elections. Mr Singh���s telephone call to the SP leader is a measure of Congress��� need to keep SP in good humour.

In this context, the Congress general secretary���s move to bury the hatchet, that too in public glare, will mean that plans for SP rebel Azam Khan���s political rehabilitation would have to be shelved, at least for the time being. Mr Khan, who had expressed displeasure over Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav���s close relationship with Kalyan Singh, had openly campaigned against the party���s candidate, Jayaprada, in Rampur.

The SP leader had opposed Ms Jayaprada���s candidature from the Rampur parliamentary constituency. Mr Khan, who campaigned for Begum Noor Bano, the Congress candidate, had been hoping for a rehabilitation in the party.