|
New Delhi, Feb. 15: The Congress may have publicly dismissed Mulayam Singh Yadav’s offer of support as a “sign of desperation” but its leaders conceded in private that the shrewd Samajwadi Party chief was trying to kill two birds with one stone.
Mulayam was trying to enthuse supporters getting disenchanted by the talk of President’s rule and to send a message to the upper caste and Muslim voters to see the Samajwadi and the Congress as one unit.
There was a third bird, too, in Mulayam’s sights: he wanted to revive the fear of a BJP resurgence in Muslim minds. Voting patters in the minority community change drastically if they sense the BJP’s victory, leading to polarisation along communal lines which does not suit the Congress, whose centrist appeal works best in normal situations.
Mulayam will lose nothing if there is a perception of a possible coalition with the Congress. Rahul Gandhi, who has been leading the campaign to revive the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, is anxious there should be no such public perception because upper caste voters, especially Brahmins, detest the Samajwadi.
The talk of a possible Samajwadi-Congress government over the last couple of months came as a booster dose for the BJP, helping it lure away Brahmins at least in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The BJP’s growth suits Mulayam as that ensures fourth place for the Congress, significantly reducing its bargaining capacity and morale, and cements the Samjawadi’s place as the pre-eminent party of the state.
“We won’t compromise with criminals and thieves,” Rahul said at an election rally, in an attempt to break this perception. Although he did not name any party, the statement created much consternation in the Samajwadi. General secretary Digvijaya Singh further rubbed in the message by talking of President’s rule.
Even a partial Congress revival in this election would ensure tough competition for the secular space
Mulayam, who was on a much stronger pitch in eastern Uttar Pradesh, knows the Congress is splitting Muslim votes in the central and western regions where the next phases of polling will take place. A conciliatory signal towards the Congress at this point could get the Muslims to tilt towards the Samajwadi and the Brahmins could go with the BJP, whittling down the threat of Congress resurgence. Congress leaders today said Mulayam’s desperation was showing. Rahul did not respond to Mulayam’s comment today but heaped scorn on his promise to turn Bundelkhand into Israel and to ensure 24-hour power supply.
|
