Cong even ready to hug Mulayam for poll dividends

NEW DELHI: With polls round the corner, it’s time for major political realignments in important states. The Congress’ desperation to end its isolation in Uttar Pradesh came through clearly on Sunday when its leader said they did not consider even arch-political rival, Samajwadi Party, a political untouchable.

The statement from Congress coincides with speculation in political circles that the SP may indulge in some “out of the box” political thinking to contain the BSP.

Although sworn political rivals in the recent days have been breaking political bread, there is yet no clarity on the shape of things to come. But the Congress’ willingness to deal with the SP — the party which prevented Sonia Gandhi from occupying the prime ministerial post after the collapse of the NDA government in 1999 and which used to be described as an outfit of criminals — clearly demonstrates the anxiety to find a viable political slot for itself in UP.

The BSP has already made it clear that it is determined to challenge the Congress in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. But it will not be an easy decision for Mulayam Singh Yadav as he is a major player in the UNPA that consists of anti-Congress parties. With the two main alliances are not seen to be getting closer to the victory mark, there are expectations of third front parties playing a critical role in the post-election days.

However, in the event of the SP agreeing to deal with the Congress, the latter could get some relief from the attempts of its rivals to tar it with the anti-Islam brush for the UPA government’s engagement with the United States.

But in the event of the rival camp’s campaign picking up, the SP will have reasons to worry. Even when the SP got defeated in the assembly poll, it managed to hold on to a sizeable chunk of its Muslim support base.

But the Congress latest move has begun prompting the BSP to move aggressively against the Congress. The recent by-polls have shown that the social coalition that Ms Mayawati cobbled together is still intact. The BSP has of late been trying to replicate the UP model in states like Maharashtra.

That she has the potential to hurt the Congress was evident in the last election itself when the BSP’s presence led to the defeat of many Congress-led alliance’s stalwarts in Vidarbha. The case was no different in the Dellhi municipal election where the BSP polled 9.95% votes, enough to damage the Congress in its traditional strongholds of the Capital.

For the Congress, a partnership is crucial for its survival in UP. Even after Rahul Gandhi undertook extensive campaigning in the state in the last assembly election, the party was not able to make any electoral impact. But the association with the SP is sure to attract the charge of political opportunism. During the campaign to the assembly polls, the Congress had targeted only the Samajwadi Party.