The political contradictions in forging Opposition unity came clearly to the fore today with both the Samajwadi Party (SP) led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) headed by Sharad Pawar finding caveats in Sonia Gandhi's statement that the Congress was open to alliances with like-minded parties.
After a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday, the first after the party's electoral loss in Gujarat, Sonia Gandhi said, in an off the cuff remark while answering questions, the Congress was open to alliances.
This formulation found no mention in the CWC resolution, and has been spelt out earlier at the Pachmarhi meeting of the Congress.
More From This Section
However, despite the losses in Gujarat and the looming danger of aggressive Hindu consolidation, that the party should still talk in abstractions although concrete political opportunities exist for it to put its money where its mouth is, was seized upon by two potential 'like-minded' parties, the SP and the NCP.
In Lucknow today, Yadav asked the Congress, why, if it was committed to a policy of alliances with like-minded parties, it was not supporting the SP in toppling the Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) government in UP.
He said if the Congress was serious in fighting communal forces it should communicate to Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri in writing declaring its support to an SP government in the state.
Yadav was quoted as saying: "We are seeking their support and they are ready to provide it. Then where is the hitch?".
However, the hitch is obvious. Mulayam Singh yadav would want the Congress's support for the limited purpose of forming a government in UP and is silent on an alliance for electoral purposes.
This is because he is mindful of the fact that sharing a Muslim base with the Congress would dent his own standing among the Muslims.
The Congress is equally conscious that its remaining minuscule support among the UP Dalits will vanish if it ties up with the Samajwadi Party.
An important test of the alliance