Alliances to dominate Congress CMs Meet
NEW DELHI: The Congress has called for a brainstorming session among the CMs of party-ruled states on Dec ember 27 to discuss issues such as inflation, food security and alliances.
Needless to say, food security and how best to implement it in Cong-ruled states would be a major issue of discussion. Sources say both second-in-command Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are convinced that the scheme will bring votes if efficiently delivered.
Apart from Rahul, A K Antony and some 12 CMs, the meet will be addressed by P Chidambaram, Sushilkumar Shinde, Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh. From the party end, Sonia 's political secretary Ahmed Patel and media cell head Ajay Maken will attend.
On alliances, the Congress is trying to stitch up a triangular tie-up in Bihar with erstwhile allies RJD and LJP. In UP, it is keen to get into an understanding with the BSP even though the latter is not willing to offer the grand old party more than 15 seats.
(Last time, in the only notable electoral success credited to Rahul, the party had won 22 seats in UP.) In West Bengal, it may go alone as neither the Left nor the TMC is willing to align with it.
In TN, where it has to get a few heavyweights, including Chidambaram elected, the party badly needs to clinch a tie-up. It has been pursuing DMDK and also PMK. Though it is in competition with the BJP over alliances with smaller parties, its larger vote share, sources said, may give the party an edge over the saffron party.
In Maharashtra, the Congress is in talks with two Dalit parties, especially the RPI's Athawale group. However, Antony will prefer to leave it to NCP's Pawar to rope in Athawale into the UPA fold rather than leave it to CM Prithviraj Chavan.
In AP, of course, the Congress is up against heavy odds. A merger with TRS in Telangana - its only hope zone in the State - looks a bit remote now. As for Seemandhra and Rayalaseema, alliances seem to be non-starters.
The party's hope of arm-twisting Jagan Reddy into a tie-up has long been dashed. Another crucial State for the Congress is Assam, where CM Tarun Gogoi will brook no interference from the AICC.
But as a CM indicated, unless the economy looks up and prices look down - it's going to be more than an uphill task to make UPA-III a believable option.
News Posted: 26 December, 2013
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