LUCKNOW: The apparent change in the national narrative following the Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan has compelled the regional parties -– SP and BSP – to lend a sincere thought to the realignment of political forces in Uttar Pradesh.
After keeping the Congress cautiously out of their pact, formally announced on January 12, SP and BSP leaderships are learnt to have got into a re-thinking mode over the inclusion of grand old party in anti-BJP alliance of which RLD is also a part.
As per the highly-placed sources, sensing a pro-BJP sentiment across the nation after February 26 airstrikes, both SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati have gone back to the drawing board to re-chart their course by asking the Congress it to join the tie-up and offer it 9-10 seats in UP.
What is more, both the regional satraps are also said to be under pressure from TMC chief Mamata Bannerji and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to expand the ambit of their alliance in UP by inducting Congress into its fold so as to arrest any division of opposition votes thus making the Lok Sabha challenge more formidable for the ruling BJP.
As per the informed sources, back door confabulations among SP, BSP and Congress are already on. While SP and BSP are ready to accommodate Congress by sparing 9-10 seats in all, the grand old party is reluctant to settle for such meagre a share.
It is eyeing at least two dozen seats and an equal status to Sp and BSP. “If that is true by any chance, Congress will demand a bigger chunk as the party is now on path of resurgence especially with Priyanka ji at the helm. The equation is changed now,” said a senior Congress leader seeking anonymity.
After being cornered by the SP and BSP, Congress had no option but to prepare for the big battle on its own.
The biggest challenge was to refurbish the crumbling party organisation in UP. AICC chief Rahul Gandhi used the ‘trump card’ up his sleeves and introduced Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as general secretary making her in-charge of 42 seats of eastern UP and Jyotiraditya Scindia in-charge of 38 seats of western UP.
Though preparing to field candidates on all 80 seats of the state, Congress’s focus has been on 28 seats on which it had fared well 2009 and 2014. The party had won 22 seats, in one of its best shows in UP, in 2009.
On the other, it could bag just two seats –- Rae Bareli and Amethi – in 2014 but had been on number two position on six seats including, Lucknow, Kanpur, Barabanki, Kushinagar, Ghaziabad and Saharanpur. As per the buzz, besides the two Gandhi bastion seats -- Rae Bareli and Amethi -- SP-BSP may also leave six of those seats on which the grand old party had remained runner up in 2014.
Interestingly, if any understanding builds up over this formula, SP will stand losing the bigger share of four of six seats -– Lucknow, Kanpur, Barabanki and Ghaziabad and Kushinagar-- from its pie of 37 and BSP will have to part with only Saharanpur.
As per the current seat sharing formula among SP and BSP and RLD, while Samajwadis will contest on 37 seats, Mayawati’s party will try luck on 38 seats and RLD has three seats — Muzaffarnagar, Mathura and Baghpat in the alliance.
Even Congress is also mulling change in its strategy to minimise the benefit of airstrikes to the ruling BJP in upcoming elections. Under the changed scenario, Congress general secretary and eastern UP incharge Priyanka Gandhi may visit the state.