Fallout with BSP won’t hit grand alliance plans: Cong

New Delhi, Oct. 7: The Congress said on Sunday the collapse of its seatsharing talks with the BSP for upcoming state polls will not affect attempts to forge a “mahagathbandhan” ( grand alliance) of Opposition parties against the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, however, said the party’s leadership had gone with its state units’ assessment of the prevailing ground situation, and how many seats it could part with for likely allies. It is believed that alliance talks between the parties fell through as the Congress was unwilling to cede as many seats in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan as sought by the BSP.

Polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held between November 12 and December 7 in what may be a virtual semi- final to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Counting of votes will be taken up together in all the five states on December 11. “State units are better aware of the ground situation than the central leadership. They took a decision and the central leadership accepted it,” Mr Khera said.

The Congress’ bid to insulate attempts for a larger alliance against the BJ came after BSP supremo Mayawati’s sharp attack at it following the announcement that she would not join hands with the main Opposition party in poll- bound states.

Mr Khera also criticised J& K governor Satya Pal Malik for his reported remarks blaming parties other than the BJP and the PDP for the fraught situation in the valley.