Confusion plays havoc with Congress in UP

Confusion seems to be playing havoc with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh and the downslide in five states has apparently not given any lessons to party leaders. The party is unable to decide whether it will contest the Assembly elections, due early next year, on its own or in alliance with other parties.

AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry and UPCC president Nirmal Khatri have been insisting that the party will contest all the 403 Assembly seats on its own. Political strategist Prashant Kishor, on the other hand, has reportedly been favouring a Bihar-like alliance with secular parties.

The party high command is yet to take a call on this.

“I am keen on contesting the Assembly elections from Ballia and there is no opposition in the party to my candidature. But I do not know whether the seat will remain with the Congress or will be given away to an ally. Because of this confusion, I am not working on my campaign. Other party candidates have launched their campaigns but we are sitting idle. This confusion is going to cost the Congress dear,” said a prospective candidate.

Leaders who favour the Congress contesting all seats are of the view that the party must learn to stand on its own feet.

“Each time, we give away seat to an ally, the party organisation in the area disintegrates. We must learn to fight, irrespective of the result,” said a party leader. Another section in the UP Congress feels that sewing up an alliance will have a psychological impact on the rival and the party will get the advantage of other caste votes.

“After the rout in the Assembly elections, we need a strategy that will boost the morale of party workers. We must realise that the party is now capable of going it alone. In the Assembly elections, results of which came on Thursday, one of our candidates has ended up with 3,760 votes which shows the level of preparedness,” said a former UPCC president.

UPCC president Nirmal Khatri, meanwhile, said, “We are preparing to contest all 403 seats but the final decision rests with the party high command.”

According to the sources, Mr Kishor is already in touch with at least a dozen smaller parties in UP, including the Peace Party, Mahan Dal, a faction of the Apna Dal, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal — all of which have limited areas of influence but can still influence voters to an extent.

UPCC president Nirmal Khatri, meanwhile, said, “We are preparing to contest all 403 seats but the final decision rests with the party high command.”

Congress workers, however, want the party high command to clear the cobwebs and take a decision at the earliest if they want the party to improve its tally in UP.