After announcing its option of alliances with smaller parties in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has now started assessing the strength and base of smaller parties.
The party is busy collecting information about the areas of influence of these parties, their support base, their background, their bases among castes, their funding and the capabilities of their leaders.
The Congress wants to give not more than 75 seats to allies and will contest the remaining on its own.
“It is on the basis of these factors that we will finalise the alliances. We do not want to ally with a party that has a dubious background or has undisclosed sources of income or is backed by criminal elements. Once the assessment is complete, we will consider the alliances,” said a senior party leader.
If sources are to be believed, the Congress is interested in alliances with parties like the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Peace Party and Apna Dal. Talks with RLD leader Choudhury Ajit Singh have been underway since the past few months but the Congress is said to be wary of Mr Singh’s fickle nature. He is prone to walking in and out of alliances with an alarming speed, particularly after winning elections.
“Mr Ajit Singh contests polls with one set of alliances and then walks over to other after polls. This time we want to be sure of him before shaking hands,” the party leader said.
An alliance with Choudhury Ajit Singh will bring the Congress the advantage of Jat votes and strengthen the party’s base in western UP. The Congress is keen on persuading the RLD to merge with it but a section within the RLD is strongly resisting the move.
The Peace Party, which has emerged as a force to reckon with in recent months, is another favourite on the Congress list. The Peace Party has successfully experimented with the Brahmin-Muslim alliance in Dumariaganj and Lakhimpur bypolls and the Congress feels that this alliance could help it widen its base in eastern UP. The party, according to sources, wants a commitment from the Congress on at least one major issue that will help it explain its tieup.