Congress is said to be exploring the possibility of an alliance with Mayawati's BSP and Lalu Prasad's RJD in the next Lok Sabha polls which will brighten its prospects in the key states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, together which hold 120 parliamentary seats.
A senior party functionary, who requested anonymity, said that if such an alliance which also involved Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP was stitched together, the party would also benefit in Jharkhand in 14 Lok Sabha seats, besides the ripple effect benefit in states like Haryana and Punjab.
His refrain was that the UPA-III could become a reality if the party manages a tie-up with the parties led by Mayawati, Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan in the north.
The thinking in the party is that a Congress-BSP tieup could become a formidable combination in Uttar Pradesh where BJP is becoming upbeat following Muzaffarnagar riots which have seen the ruling Samajwadi Party on the defensive.
Rahul Gandhi's visit to the relief camps in Muzaffarnagar has sent a positive message among the minorities, he said adding that the pressure from the community could force Mayawati to go in for a tie-up with the Congress.
Mayawati has so far maintained that her party would not have a tie-up with any party in the Lok Sabha polls. The calculation in Congress is that once it gets its act together in the north, it would find allies in the south and some of those who have parted ways with the UPA-II could come back.
BJP is banking heavily on Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in its electoral strategy since making Narendra Modi its Prime Ministerial candidate.
Congress has set up a committee under senior leader A K Antony to go into the issue of alliances. Incidentally, Antony is also the Chairman of the Drafting Committee for the resolution for the AICC meeting scheduled here on Jan 17 to prepare the organisation for the next Lok Sabha polls.
The AICC meeting will have only one resolution on political, social and economic issues and is expected to set the tone for the party line on alliances. The meeting is being held amid growing speculation that Rahul Gandhi could be declared the party's PM candidate.
Sharad Pawar's NCP, which is now the second largest constituent in the UPA, has already declared that it will have a tie-up with the Congress in the polls. National Conference, Ajit Singh's RLD and IUML are some other constituents of the UPA-II. DMK parted ways with UPA earlier this year while Trinamool Congress did so last year.
