Days after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati announced her decision to tie up with former Congress leader Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress in Chhattisgarh, senior Congress leaders called a meeting of State units to discuss the issue of alliances ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Among the States that attended Monday’s meeting included Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
A four-member sub group of the Congress group, headed by A.K. Antony, that includes senior leaders like Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot and Ghulam Nabi Azad, wanted feedback from the States on whether the Congress should go in for an alliance with any other party in these States.
In several States, the Congress already has an understanding with key parties but the principal Opposition party is trying for ‘something extra.’
In Bihar, the Congress is in an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad Yadav but is looking at roping in disgruntled NDA allies like Upendra Kushwaha of Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RSLP).
In Odisha too, the party would look at cementing the ties with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the tribal belt.
Similarly, in Jharkhand, the Congress is attempting a grand alliance with RJD, JMM and Babu Lal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Manch (JVM).
While in Karnataka, the Congress has an alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular), Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are proving to be the difficult States. The Congress wants an alliance with the BSP here but Ms. Mayawati’s party has spurned the Congress in Chhattisgarh and has kept the suspense in Madhya Pradesh.
Senior Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had earlier said, “What applies to Chhattisgarh certainly does not automatically apply to Madhya Pradesh or to other States, be it Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan... And I think we have not seen the last word on the subject.”
