The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Cong in wait-and-watch mode, hints at Akhilesh tilt
THE FAST-PACED developments in Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday has taken the Congress, like everyone else, by surprise. While the Congress began weighing its options after the initial bewilderment, the party is in a wait-and-watch mode, letting things crystallise in SP before making any move.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader and the party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge told The Indian Express that the developments were “sad” and argued that “secular votes of any party should not split” in UP. But calling it an “internal matter” of SP, he said, “Akhilesh is a good man and an upright person with a good image, but at this juncture, when the father and son are fighting, we don’t want to become party to it.”
The Congress and the SP were engaged in back-channel talks to explore the possibility of a pre-election understanding. But the alliance did not materialise because SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was said to be cold to the idea. Akhilesh, sources said, was in favour of a pre-poll understanding.
Asked about the possibility of an alliance with Akhilesh if he comes out of SP, Azad said, “Why should we shoot our mouth off and say if he comes we will do this or that?”
Stating that the Yadav family feud is not a healthy development for secular parties in the poll-bound state, the Congress Rajya Sabha leader said, “We want secular parties to strengthen... When we are fighting BJP, any division in the votes of any secular party will not be good.”
In remarks that underline the apprehension in the party that a patch up between Mulayam and Akhileshcannotberuledout,azad said, “At this point of time, it’s all happening.letussee.wecanonly wait and watch at this stage.”
Interestingly, leaders in both Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Ajit Singh’s RLD — two other parties that had tried to forge pre-poll understanding with SP — pointed to unpredictable nature of the family feud and said a rapprochement cannot be ruled out.
Pointing out that events are unfolding at a very fast pace, a senior UP Congress leader said, “Many developments took place within a few hours. Showcause notices were issued to Ramgopal Yadav and Akhilesh...and within hours they were expelled... (So) one does not know what will happen in the coming days.”
Addressing a public meeting inbalrampurdistrictearlierinthe day,azadsaid,“ihaven’tseensuch feud within a ruling party in my entire political career — and that, too, when elections are near.”
Referring to separate lists of candidates released by SP leaders, he said, “Jab neta hi itna confused hai, to voter kitna confused honge (When the leader himself is confused, imagine how confused the voter will be). I don’t know whether people will cast their vote based on Netaji’s (Mulayam’s) list, the CM’S list, or the chacha’s (uncle Shivpal’s) list.”
Meanwhile, JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi called the developments “sad and unfortunate”. RLD leader Jayant Choudhary declined to comment.
(INPUTS FROM ANAND MISHRA AND MAULSHREE
SETH IN LUCKNOW)