New Delhi: The Congress leadership is not unduly worried about the tough public posturing by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on the question of alliance as they believe all secular parties are willing to make compromises to prevent the division of anti-BJP votes.

A Congress core group member told The Telegraph: "The talks are on course and we should not draw conclusions from public posturing. Lots of shadow-boxing and bargaining tactics will be deployed during negotiations."

Another leader said: "Rahul Gandhi's instructions are clear: we have to secure alliances as far as possible."

Congress leaders concede Mayawati drives a hard bargain and the BSP was asking for a abnormally high number of seats in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

"These were preliminary stages and the deal will be worked out as elections are announced. Initial obstinacy is understandable as every party wants to maximise its space," a leader from Madhya Pradesh said.

Although negotiations with the BSP have failed in the past, Congress leaders hope every party will show flexibility and accommodate one another.

"Now we are not in a phase when talks are between two parties and they decide on the basis of mutual interests. There is a collective will for a greater coalition as the overriding concern is to save the country from majoritarian politics. Veterans like Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury... all of them are exerting pressure on everybody to forge solidarity," an Opposition leader said.

Akhilesh's reslove

What former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday in New Delhi was seen as a manifestation of same sentiment. "I have said that if we have to take two steps backwards to accommodate the alliance partner, we will. I am going to stick to that position come what may. We know if we can stop the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, we will stop them in the entire country," Akhilesh said.

He explicitly identified the RSS as the main enemy, saying, "We lost in Uttar Pradesh in the Assembly elections because of the rumours spread by them. The RSS is dividing the people and to save the country we have to stay away from them. They create a divide between us based on religion, caste... they mislead people. If you keep the youth fighting among themselves for religion and caste, they will not ask for jobs and income. That's their plan."

Mayawati too has never given any hint of softening of stand on the BJP, although she has not been demonstrating friendliness towards the Congress either. She is too shrewd a leaders to show her preferences till the deal is finally stuck.

Her insistence has been on "a respectable number of seats" and Congress leaders see that as a reasonable position from her perspective. They also concede extraneous pressure on her, compelling a cautious move which could unfold differently once elections are announced.

Sources say the SP and the BSP would ultimately come together in Uttar Pradesh. But both the SP and the BSP have been cagey about the Congress in the recent past. There is a possibility that they may fail to agree on the number of seats. The Congress will have to sacrifice and accept the six to seven seats - which these two parties have offered - by going against the insistence of the state unit to contest at least 15 seats.

While the SP and the BSP know the Congress can take away some forward caste votes from the BJP by contesting alone, the possibility of a division in Muslim votes cannot be not ruled out. This dilemma may compel the three parties to stick together but public demonstration of bonhomie before the deal is done can be politically counter-productive.