SP, NCP try pressure tactics against Congress now

NEW DELHI: A ���kangaroo front��� is taking shape in UPA, with SP and NCP trying to enlist the support of important regional players in this effort. The initiative, which is aimed at upping their bargaining power in their dealings with the Congress, is certain to pose trouble for the grand old party.

A meeting here on Thursday night decided to hold a strategy session on February 12. Although Lalu Prasad has promised his participation, the SP-NCP leaders are not sure about the RJD leader���s plans as he shares a good rapport with the Congress leadership.

The SP is miffed with the Congress for ���blowing the Kalyan Singh issue out of proportion.��� The SP considers the attack on Kalyan Singh part of the Congress attempt to make a dent in Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav���s popularity among Muslims.

���Kalyan Singh has said that he regrets the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The issue should rest there,��� said SP general secretary Amar Singh. Mr Kalyan Singh, incidentally, had only owned up moral responsibility for the demolition but never apologised or express regret for the act.The Congress began to hit out at the SP after it told the former that they should not expect to contest more than 15 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The SP has already announced its nominees in majority of the constituencies that the Congress is keen to contest. ���The Congress is a marginal force in Uttar Pradesh. We are ready to allot seats where the Congress has a chance to win,��� claimed a SP leader.

On its part, the Congress is not ready to settle for anything less than 25 seats. With a section of the senior leadership already sceptical about the profitability of aligning with SP, the Congress cannot afford to make any major compromise. At the last meeting of the CWC, AICC general secretary in charge of UP, Mr Digvijay Singh, had advocated a solo fight by the Congress. According to Mr Singh, the Congress was better placed in UP now as compared to 2004 in the state.

The NCP has already sent out clear signals that it will not accept the ���hegemony��� of the Congress. After the CWC rejected national level alliances, NCP has been networking with regional players. It was only on Thursday that the NCP entered into a pact with the AUDF and the Left in Assam.

NCP leaders here claimed that the terms of the Maharashtra alliance will be decided by Mr Sharad Pawar. ���There will be some out-of-the-box thinking on the NCP���s part,��� said a party leader.

The gathering clouds will require the Congress to be more sentitive to the demands from its allies. The only state where it enjoys reasonable comfort level is Tamil Nadu. Here, DMK is critically dependent on the Congress as the rival side will make a strong bid to tap the incumbency disadvantage of the Karunanidhi regime.