Cong devises plan to go alone in UP
As the party has decided to go alone in UP, the Congress is working on a two-prong strategy to face the electoral battle in the state in 2012. First the party has been working on a few of the smaller caste-parties including RLD, Apna Dal and Peace Party to merge them with the Congress. It has also laid out a comprehensive plan to prepare a detailed chargesheet relating to “institutionalised corruption” against Mayawati government in the state.
“We will start by preparing a charge sheet on corruption in the UP government on December 28 this year. We will prepare booklets and distribute it in each of the assembly constituencies,” AICC general secretary in-charge of the state Digvijay Singh said.
Mr Singh’s statement comes a day after the party decided that the candidates for the 403 Assembly seats in the crucial state would be decided an year in advance to take on the ruling BSP.
Asked whether caste would be a factor in the 2012 polls, Mr Singh said, “Development and institutinalised corruption of the state government will be the deciding factors.”
On whether secularism as a poll plank could benefit Congress in the state, the Congress leader said the party has to take the line of “fighting fundamentalist Hindus and Muslims at the same time, as we are a party of liberals”. Meanwhile party sources said that even though the Congress would contest the polls alone, it was in touch with smaller parties and individuals having influence in certain caste groups. “Efforts will be made to merge these parties with the Congress,” sources indicated.
Asked about the progress of the merger proposal of Ajit Singh led RLD with the Congress, sources said that talks have been held but nothing concrete has materialised as yet.
“He (Ajit Singh) is a tough negotiator. Let us see what happens,” was the refrain of the leader who admitted that a merger would benefit the Congress.
Sources, however, ruled out the possibility of any alliance with RLD saying there was “apprehension” among a section of Congress leaders in western UP.
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