Barely a few months are left for the Lok Sabha elections but the Congress in Uttar Pradesh continues to remain in a state dilemma.
The party cannot choose between UP and UPA and this is impacting its relationship with the SP and the BSP in the state.
“The Congress wants to keep both the SP and the BSP in good humour because the support of these two parties is essential to the UPA on key issues like the food security bill and, hence, the party unit in UP has been asked not to sharpen its attack on these two parties,” disclosed a senior party functionary.
The Congress needs to adopt a more aggressive posture against SP and BSP in UP if it wants to make a mark in the Lok Sabha elections.
Interestingly, earlier this month, AICC general secretary in charge of UP affairs Madhusudan Mistry had declared in Lucknow that the Congress would step up its attack on the Samajwadi government without bothering about fallout in Delhi.
Two days later, the Congress reverted to its earlier stand and party spokesmen have now restricted themselves to mild and customary attacks on the SP government.
One of the candidates aspiring for a Lok Sabha ticket from the Bundelkhand region said on Saturday, ”The Samajwadi Party is our main adversary, along with BSP, in UP and if we do not target these two parties, how can we make our presence felt? We are presenting ourselves as a weakling in state politics.”
The Congress has already been maintaining a stoic silence over the deteriorating law and order situation and the rising incidents of child rape. Apart from issuing meek statements on various incidents, the party has not staged any demonstration or built up any mass movement.
The party has not dared to criticise the Akhilesh Yadav government strongly on any issue and in the state Assembly, the Congress remains a “friendly Opposition”.
Party cadres are sore at the attitude of the Central ministers towards the Akhilesh government.