NEW DELHI: With the heat and dust of the election campaign and subsequent polling settling down in Uttar Pradesh, political parties have started to look at the post-poll scenario, even as politicians speculated on alliances and tried to deflect attention on possible disappointing results.
On Sunday, Congress distanced itself from Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma’s remarks that it could look for a post-poll alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party, stating that it was his personal opinion.
Beni Prasad Verma said he “personally preferred BSP To SP”, as incumbent CM Mayawati has been able to rein in lawlessness.
“Whatever Verma said was his personal opinion. The party high command will take a decision after taking into account all the aspects only after results are out on March 6,” said Congress party spokesperson Rashid Alvi.
Exit polls on TV channels on Saturday predicted a hung assembly in UP, with Samajwadi Party as the largest in the 403-member State assembly. Asked whether he was ruling out any tie-up between Congress and BSP, Alvi said, “I do not want to answer a hypothetical question. Wait for results. Congress will take a decision when results are out and we are hopeful that results will be in our favour.”
Similar views were expressed in Lucknow, with UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi reiterating that her party will only form the government if it got a clear majority. “The party’s line is clear... if we get a majority then we will form the government, otherwise we will sit in the opposition. Whatever he (Verma) has said is his personal view,” said Joshi.
The exit polls had been projecting that Congress could wrest about 40–50 seats, but they were trashed by party general secretary Digvijay Singh as “frauds”.
“Exit polls are frauds. How can you define the votes of 12 crore voters in such small sample sizes? Tell me which exit polls have been accurate in predicting results in the past,” he said in Bhopal.
Put in charge of UP polls, Digvijay said that as per his analysis, “The elections will throw up astonishing results for Congress”.