The Congress is undecided whether or not to play the role of “effective or constructive Opposition” in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly till the presidential and vice-presidential elections.
This has become clear following the two-day meeting Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had with UP leaders in New Delhi to analyse the poll results.
“We don’t know whether the Samajwadi Party is our friend or foe,” said a UP Congress leader after the meeting.
The Congress has yet to elect its Legislature Party leader in UP at a time when it has elected CLP leaders in Punjab and Goa, which held polls along with UP.
The Congress managers are trying to keep the morale of the state party leaders high after the debacle by arguing that the party’s vote percentage has gone up, but they are silent on how to take on the Samajwadi Party and the BSP, who are backing the Centre from outside.
The role of the ruling Samajwadi Party would be important in the presidential and vice-presidential elections as these polls could set the tone of political realignment of regional players in the UPA, NDA and outside if the national parties fail to show the “give and take” spirit.
The Congress has so far kept its cards of President and vice-president nominees close to the chest. But it may give some indications about its prospective candidates after the passage of the General Budget next month, sources said.
After winning the UP Assembly elections, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav made it clear that he wants to focus on Delhi. The current UPA allies — the Trinamul Congress, the DMK, the NCP, the RLD, the National Conference — and the prospective allies — the Left, the BSP, the AIADMK — would certainly like to have their say in the election of these posts.
But the Biju Janata Dal and the TDP would not ally with the Congress directly or indirectly due to political compulsions in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.