Talk of a power-sharing arrangement has begun in the political circles amid exit poll predictions of a hung Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
Though the current mood in the Congress is not to join any body’s government and play the role of the Opposition in the state Assembly, it may prefer a Maharashtra power sharing formula if a single largest party cannot form government without the Congress’ support.
Under this formula, it can get a deputy chief ministership and home, finance, power, irrigation, PWD and other ministries if the SP or the BSP agrees to it.
“But it all depends on numbers. If we cross 70 seats, and some of our leaders are confident of winning over 100 seats, then we will be seen as an equal partner of ruling party. In that scenario, the Maharashtra power sharing formula could be applied in Lucknow. Under this arrangement, deputy chief ministership, home, finance, power, irrigation, PWD should be given to junior partner,” insiders said.
The Congress has been out of power in UP for over two decades. The party wants to keep both the SP and the BSP in good humour because of their unconditional support to the Manmohan Singh government at the Centre. Besides, the SP has 22 members in the Lok Sabha while BSP’s strength in the Lower House is 21.
Their support is crucial for passage of key legislations and in the coming elections for President and vice president, insiders said. But the party’s strategy in Lucknow would obviously be different. An AICC official who does not want to be quoted, ruled out a possibility of the Congress backing the BSP.
“This will weaken our support base among dalits further. We had made a blunder by having a pre-poll alliance with the BSP in 1996 and are paying price for it. How can it be possible after making chief minister Mayawati the main target of our attack,” he said.
But in politics nothing can be ruled out completely. If the Congress and the NCP can share power in Maharashtra in less than a month after Mr Sharad Pawar, Mr P.A. Sangma and Mr Tariq Anwar were expelled from the Congress for raising Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s ‘foreign origin’ issue in 1999, then anything can happen in UP too, insiders said.
A section of the Congress views that controversial statements, talk of President’s Rule, 4.5 per cent reservation to minorities are some of the factors that appear to have marred the party’s prospects in the UP Assembly elections.