Sonia: Rattled?

New Delhi, Jan. 7: Mayavati’s attack has left the Congress exposed on a third front in the heartland where the party is already fighting the Samajwadi Party and the BJP.

Congress leaders, sharply divided on how to respond to Mayavati’s outburst, spoke in different voices today. AICC spokesperson Jayanti Natrajan sounded almost conciliatory when she said the party “would appeal to the Centre” to address the Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s security concerns.

But the AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, was agitated by Mayavati’s remarks. He wondered why her disposition was “quite charitable” towards Mulayam Singh Yadav.

While conceding that Mayavati was free to take a stand (on withdrawing support to the UPA), Digvijay said he was surprised by the chief minister’s suggestion that the state police were not competent enough to look after her security.

Congress insiders said Mayavati’s attack on the party had rattled them a bit but added that the threat to withdraw support to the UPA would not pose any danger as the alliance had adequate numbers to retain majority in the Lok Sabha.

But, politically, a section of the Congress did not relish taking on the BSP as the party is already confronting the Samajwadi Party and the BJP. This section said the ties with Mayavati should be nursed back to health as she was likely to emerge stronger in the next general elections.

Opponents of this school of thought said Mayavati had been trying to expand her base outside Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Congress-ruled Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Yesterday in Hyderabad, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister extended a hand of friendship to the Telengana Rashtra Samiti, a former UPA ally. Congress managers fear that Mayavati can wean away substantial Dalit and minority votes in Maharashtra and Andhra.

All eyes are now on Rahul Gandhi to see whether he will spearhead a Congress campaign against Mayavati.