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Cong still miles away from a viable alliance pact
New Delhi, Feb 01: With the Lok Sabha set to be dissolved on February 6 and the dates of fresh elections to the Lower House to be announced shortly, the Congress is moving ahead gradually towards forging alliances with like-minded parties in a bid to form a secular front to defeat the NDA, but the party has still a long way to go.
New Delhi, Feb 01: With the Lok Sabha set to be dissolved on February 6 and the dates of fresh elections to the Lower House to be announced shortly, the Congress is moving ahead gradually towards forging alliances with like-minded parties in a bid to form a secular front to defeat the NDA, but the party has still a long way to go.
After several rounds of talks held in Chennai and in Delhi, the party eventually succeeded in firming up an alliance with the DMK, led by M Karunanidhi. An agreement on seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections was finalised in Chennai today, according to AICC general secretary Kamal Nath. He told newsmen that the party had not only finalised the seat sharing but also identified the seats to be contested by the Congress.
The agreement followed a three-hour long discussion Kamal Nath had together with the local Congress leaders and DMK supremo K Karunanidhi and his party colleagues. Earlier, senior party leader Manmohan Singh, CWC member Mani Shankar Aiyer had visited Chennai and Karunanidhi's son Stalin had visited Delhi in bid to sew up an alliance, but the talks remained inconclusive.
As per the agreement reached, the Congress will form part of the Democratic Progressive Alliance, headed by the DMK, as its main ally. The other allies will be MDMK, PMK and the Left parties.
The talks for alliance with the DMK got bogged down initially when Karunanidhi unilaterally allocated Pondicherry seat, presently held by the Congress, to another ally PMK, much to the discomfiture of the Congress. The controversy, according to Kamal Nath, had finally been resolved.
The Congress Party's efforts to rope in the Bahujan Samaj Party led by Mayawati for an alliance in Uttar Pradesh through its negotiations, conducted at the state level so far, have been a non-starter.
The former UP Chief Minister has kept the Congress guessing about whether her party would have an alliance with the Congress at all or would like to go it alone in the Lok Sabha elections. She has indicated that she would make up her mind after the Election Commission announces the dates of the Lok Sabha elections.
Mayawati told reporters that her party had seldom gained anything through alliances or seat sharing with other parties in earlier elections.
The 'dalit' votes of the BSP tend to get transferred to other parties aligning with her, rather than benefitting the BSP, she said.
The BSP leader has reportedly laid down a condition that the Congress withdraw support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh before if enters into any alliance with the Congress. This has created a piquant situation for the Congress.
Its indecision on this count stems from the assurances that Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh has given to the Congress that his party would extend issue-based support in the elections and form as government.
The Samajwadi Party however, has repeatedly clarified that it would go it alone in the elections. The Congress may not like to ignore the prospects of post election support assured to it by the Samajwadi Party.
As the party's dilemma in Uttar Pradesh continues, pressure is mounting on the Congress high command from its Uttar Pradesh unit to withdraw support to the Mulayam Singh government on the grounds that the government is not taking the party into confidence on major decisions being taken by it.
It has also accused Mulayam Singh of not honouring the understanding reached that there would be a common minimum progamme besides a joint coordination committee.
Bureau Report
The agreement followed a three-hour long discussion Kamal Nath had together with the local Congress leaders and DMK supremo K Karunanidhi and his party colleagues. Earlier, senior party leader Manmohan Singh, CWC member Mani Shankar Aiyer had visited Chennai and Karunanidhi's son Stalin had visited Delhi in bid to sew up an alliance, but the talks remained inconclusive.
As per the agreement reached, the Congress will form part of the Democratic Progressive Alliance, headed by the DMK, as its main ally. The other allies will be MDMK, PMK and the Left parties.
The talks for alliance with the DMK got bogged down initially when Karunanidhi unilaterally allocated Pondicherry seat, presently held by the Congress, to another ally PMK, much to the discomfiture of the Congress. The controversy, according to Kamal Nath, had finally been resolved.
The Congress Party's efforts to rope in the Bahujan Samaj Party led by Mayawati for an alliance in Uttar Pradesh through its negotiations, conducted at the state level so far, have been a non-starter.
The former UP Chief Minister has kept the Congress guessing about whether her party would have an alliance with the Congress at all or would like to go it alone in the Lok Sabha elections. She has indicated that she would make up her mind after the Election Commission announces the dates of the Lok Sabha elections.
Mayawati told reporters that her party had seldom gained anything through alliances or seat sharing with other parties in earlier elections.
The 'dalit' votes of the BSP tend to get transferred to other parties aligning with her, rather than benefitting the BSP, she said.
The BSP leader has reportedly laid down a condition that the Congress withdraw support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh before if enters into any alliance with the Congress. This has created a piquant situation for the Congress.
Its indecision on this count stems from the assurances that Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh has given to the Congress that his party would extend issue-based support in the elections and form as government.
The Samajwadi Party however, has repeatedly clarified that it would go it alone in the elections. The Congress may not like to ignore the prospects of post election support assured to it by the Samajwadi Party.
As the party's dilemma in Uttar Pradesh continues, pressure is mounting on the Congress high command from its Uttar Pradesh unit to withdraw support to the Mulayam Singh government on the grounds that the government is not taking the party into confidence on major decisions being taken by it.
It has also accused Mulayam Singh of not honouring the understanding reached that there would be a common minimum progamme besides a joint coordination committee.
Bureau Report