The possibility of an agreement between Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) regarding seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh has diminished. as Congress does not find SP’s behaviour acceptable. Congress has announced agreements on its own on 11 seats and declared candidates for some seats on Tuesday.
Congress is not openly speaking about its stance on SP, but indications suggest that Congress will contest all seats. There might be friendly contests on some seats. The pressure on the state Congress is that no difference will be made by any agreement. It is better to fight alone. However, the party is saying that discussions are ongoing.
The responsibility for negotiations has been given to former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, and he has had several rounds of talks with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Congress is in a dilemma that if it agrees to 11 seats, it will face more problems ahead because the big chunk of the state is in favour of the other side.
Otherwise, it might get at least 21 to 22 seats. The Samajwadi Party is not in the mood to give more seats to Congress. Its strategists believe that giving seats to Congress in Uttar Pradesh will not benefit them as Congress does not have any vote bank left. In the Assembly elections, the party suffered a significant loss under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi. The vote percentage also decreased, remaining at three per cent.
Congress has completely disappeared from Uttar Pradesh. Another concern for Congress is that, after the establishment of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, there is trouble in Rae Bareli as well. It is confirmed that Sonia Gandhi will not contest the elections.
It seems unlikely that Priyanka will show the courage to contest elections in the changed environment. The results of the elections in three states have put an end to her charisma. Especially the defeats in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are considered significant blows for her.
It was hoped that both states would win because of her, but there was a big loss. It seems she will take an interest in the Lok Sabha elections. There is no interest left for her in the Uttar Pradesh case. After the foundation ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the whole environment changed.
If SP, BSP, and Congress fought elections together in a changed environment, they could have reached a consensus up to Dahi. Now, even if SP and Congress form an alliance, it will not affect the results in Uttar Pradesh. BJP can break the record of 2014. It is possible that a new record may be set in which the entire opposition may be in disarray. Congress strategists also think that Uttar Pradesh is difficult.
In such a situation, when there is no benefit in going with SP, why not fight elections in a friendly manner on all seats? Candidates can be fielded based on caste, and the opposition can help each other. Whether it is Avinash Pandey, the in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, or the state president, they are reiterating the same thing; negotiations are ongoing. After the Bihar incident, the offer of 11 seats to Congress by SP is beyond comprehension. Akhilesh has made the offer, knowing the stature of Congress.
The strategists of Congress, who were talking big about caste balancing in the Assembly elections, might face defeat even in their stronghold. Congress has an opportunity to fight strongly on 80 seats, which could establish Congress’s existence in the state. The party can stand up until the Assembly elections. In the prevailing atmosphere, SP and BSP will completely converge this time.
