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Sonia meets Mayawati to rope in BSP
New Delhi, Feb 16: In a bid to rope in the Bahujan Samaj Party in the secular front to defeat the BJP-led NDA, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had yet another meeting with BSP supremo Mayawati over dinner here last night.
New Delhi, Feb 16: In a bid to rope in the Bahujan Samaj Party in the secular front to defeat the BJP-led NDA, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had yet another meeting with BSP supremo Mayawati over dinner here last night.
''The talks (for the proposed alliance) are continuing. Nothing is conclusive,'' AICC general secretary Ambika Soni said.
Soni confirmed that the meeting between the two took place last night at the official residence of Gandhi and, among other issues, the proposed alliance between the two parties for the Lok Sabha elections figured in the meeting.
''It was a reciprocal dinner,'' she said implying that after Gandhi had had a meeting with Mayawati over dinner at the latter's place earlier, it was now the turn of Mayawati to be invited to the residence of Gandhi.
Mayawati has so far been non-committal on the issue of joining hands with the Congress, stating that she would take any decision on the matter only after the election schedule is announced.
However, she has given enough indication that she is likely to go alone in the elections, stating that her party had not gained substantially by forging alliance with other parties including Congress in the previous elections.
In an alliance, while the Dalit votes, which otherwise would have come to her, tend to get transferred to other parties, their votes do not get transferred to her party, according to Mayawati.
Gandhi, on the other hand, has blamed the BJP for pressurising Maywati not to have an alliance with the Congress.
The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress has already decided to go alone in the elections and has started identifying candidates for all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. It is, however, waiting for approval of its decision from the party high command. Bureau Report
Soni confirmed that the meeting between the two took place last night at the official residence of Gandhi and, among other issues, the proposed alliance between the two parties for the Lok Sabha elections figured in the meeting.
''It was a reciprocal dinner,'' she said implying that after Gandhi had had a meeting with Mayawati over dinner at the latter's place earlier, it was now the turn of Mayawati to be invited to the residence of Gandhi.
Mayawati has so far been non-committal on the issue of joining hands with the Congress, stating that she would take any decision on the matter only after the election schedule is announced.
However, she has given enough indication that she is likely to go alone in the elections, stating that her party had not gained substantially by forging alliance with other parties including Congress in the previous elections.
In an alliance, while the Dalit votes, which otherwise would have come to her, tend to get transferred to other parties, their votes do not get transferred to her party, according to Mayawati.
Gandhi, on the other hand, has blamed the BJP for pressurising Maywati not to have an alliance with the Congress.
The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress has already decided to go alone in the elections and has started identifying candidates for all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. It is, however, waiting for approval of its decision from the party high command. Bureau Report