Uttar Pradesh: Congress raises stakes amid power game between Mayawati, Akhilesh
While the BSP supremo Mayawati is maintaining an equal distance from the BJP and the Opposition grouping, she had warned recently that adverse remarks be not made against her party “since no one knows whose support will be needed in future and the parties should not find themselves in positions of regret”
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, January 5: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s reworked Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra appears to have stirred the political waters of Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi will now spend 11 days in Uttar Pradesh and also cover as many as 20 districts.
Uttar Pradesh is clearly at the centre of attention of the Congress in the two-month long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of Gandhi which has been strategically planned to give a new leash of life in the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. By making a loud announcement of the intent to work for the revival of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, the Opposition ally the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party would be keenly watching out the grand old party.
While the BSP supremo Mayawati is maintaining an equal distance from the BJP and the Opposition grouping, she had warned recently that adverse remarks be not made against her party “since no one knows whose support will be needed in future and the parties should not find themselves in positions of regret”. The BSP supremo also has been unsparing in her attacks on the Samajwadi Party. Mayawati also hit out at the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre on issues of unemployment and low per capita income in the country while coming down heavily on the ‘Viksit Bharat Yatra’.
But the Congress’ plan to spend most days in Uttar Pradesh shows the seriousness of the party to bring an element of surprise in the state which has a total of 80 Lok Sabha seats. Gandhi will spend days in VIP parliamentary seats of Varanasi, Rae Bareli, and Amethi in the state. It may be recalled that Gandhi had spent most days in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in southern states, and the party credit the electoral success in Karnataka and Telangana to Gandhi’s efforts to revive the energy of the party workers.
Political observers opine that the Congress may put pressure on both the SP and the BSP to come on board for the Opposition alliance, as well as cede a respectable number of Lok Sabha seats for the outfit led by Mallikarjuna Kharge. The Congress appears keen to contest a fewer number of seats as a tactical move to improve the strike rate and also focus attention in areas where the party can win.
The Congress leaders are wary of the fact that the BSP staying away from the Opposition alliance may make the 2014 like verdict a possibility in Uttar Pradesh when the BJP despite lesser vote share had won 71 Lok Sabha seats. But the pre-poll Opposition alliance in 2019 had seen the BJP’s seat coming down to 62 while the BSP had made a strong comeback with 10 seats from zero in 2014.
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