The SP’s decision to stay out of the government was conveyed to the UPA leadership at the first meeting of the Congress-SP coordination committee on Saturday.
NEW DELHI: The Samajwadi Party may have turned down the offer to join the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government at the centre, but when it comes to the question of seat-sharing between the two parties in Uttar Pradesh, it is likely to drive a hard bargain.
The SP’s decision to stay out of the government was conveyed to the UPA leadership at the first meeting of the Congress-SP coordination committee on Saturday.
Seat-sharing talks between the two parties are slated to commence in the next few days, and the SP is also looking for a tie-up in Maharashtra, MP and Bihar.
“We want a comprehensive tie-up, so that the secular vote is not divided both within UP and outside,” said Ram Gopal Yadav leader of the SP in the Lok Sabha.
The SP has some presence in MP especially the areas bordering UP and in some minority-dominated areas of Maharashtra and its leaders believe that the Congress should leave some seats for them.
“What we are asking for is based on the performance of our party in the past. It will be mutually beneficial if we contest the elections together,” said Mohan Singh, an SP parliamentarian.
The Congress leadership will be only too happy to tie up with the SP in Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress is fighting a desperate battle to remain relevant. But the SP’s demand of seats in Maharashtra and MP may prove too be a ticklish for the party.
The Congress won nine Lok Sabha seats during the 2004 elections in UP and it is planning to contest anything between 22 to 25 Lok Sabha seats in UP.
Senior Samajwadi Party leaders are of the view that the Congress will also have to accommodate their wishes in the states like Maharashtra and MP for the SP to adopt a generous attitude in UP.
Traditionally, the Congress has been reluctant to part with seats in its strongholds. The party’s political managers want the Congress to be the principal party.
However, given the changed ground realities as well as the need for the party to consolidate its allies, the party is likely to adopt a more flexible and accommodative attitude towards its allies.
j_ansari@dnaindia.net
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