The Congress fears that the Samajwadi Party, minus Amar Singh, will emerge stronger; making Project 2012 in Uttar Pradesh much more difficult for the Grand Old Party. Ever since the Lok Sabha elections when the Congress picked up a fourth of the seats in the State, the party has set its sights on staging a comeback in the crucial State on its own in the next Assembly elections .
Referring to the heydays of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh, Congress leaders said he had a solid base that had got eroded because of the kind of politics Mr. Amar Singh represented and indulged in. With Mr. Amar Singh getting sidelined, Mr. Mulayam Singh’s former fellow-travellers are asserting themselves within the party. “This augurs well for the Samajwadi Party,” said the Congress leaders.
As far as the Congress is concerned, Mr. Amar Singh – who began his politics with the party – is bad news. “If due diligence is done, Amar Singh has no assets and brings in a number of liabilities,” said a senior Congress leader.
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