The current mood in the Congress is against pre-poll alliances with key parties in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, but in Kerala it is leading the UDF. All these states going to polls next year will once again see that national parties are either insignificant or looking for partners to come to power.
The Congress had fought the Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in alliance with the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress and the DMK. But this time the state Congress is said to be uncomfortable with its former allies. It does not want to be a “B-team” of the Trinamul Congress in West Bengal because the latter has been refusing to recognise the Congress as an “equal” partner.
In Tamil Nadu, the Congress has to ally with the anti-AIADMK parties to get a few seats. The Congress has been out of power in Tamil Nadu since 1967 and in West Bengal since 1977 despite having heavyweights in the two states.
In Assam, chief minister Tarun Gogoi is said to be against a pre-poll alliance with the Badaruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF fearing it would affect the Congress’ support base among minorities who feel that the AIUDF would be their natural party.
According to a senior Congress strategist, the chief minister told the party high command that a pre-poll alliance with the AIUDF would mean to transfer their minority votes permanently. This would be against the interest of the party in the long run. He is suggesting that a tactical understanding with the anti-BJP parties would help. The Congress has not been able to regain its support base among the backward castes and minorities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar because of political blunders committed during the rule of Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao.
If the breakaway groups of the Congress can become major players in Bengal (TMC), Maharashtra (NCP), Jammu and Kashmir (PDP) and the Tamil Maanila Congress in Tamil Nadu, then why, ask insiders, can’t the original Congress party revive in these states. This is a challenge before Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is set to become the party chief.
While the Congress has gained in Bihar due to pre-poll alliances with the RJD-JD(U) combine, it has no option but to go it alone in UP.
