Cong inclined towards alliance with SP in UP

Sniffing a chance because of demonetisation, Congress leaders of Uttar Pradesh are inclined towards an alliance with the ruling Samajwadi Party as they feel it will decisively halt BJP and bolster its prospects in the upcoming Assembly polls.
The party, which has been out of power in the politically important state for 27 years and has tried its best to revive its electoral fortunes by pushing its vice president Rahul Gandhi to hold a 'kisan yatra' across the state, is believed to be open to a "respectable" seat-sharing formula to tie up with SP for the elections.
"The aim and target of Congress is not just to halt BJP in Uttar Pradesh but also in the country for which it believes that all parties having similar ideology need to come together," a senior leader said.

Amid reports of possibility of such an alliance, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said if such a tie-up fructifies, it would win over 300 seats.
"Though samajwadis are going to form majority government in the state, if an alliance takes place, it will win over 300 (of the 403) seats. The final decision in this regard will be taken by party National president (Mulayam Singh Yadav)," he said when asked about possibility of his party's alliance with Congress.
Though no senior Congress leader was forthcoming on the issue of alliance, the UP poll scenario was discussed threadbare at a recent high level meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka, UPCC President Raj Babbar and AICC general secretary incharge of UP Ghulam Nabi Azad in Delhi.

"We had successfully tried this formula in Bihar and halted the march of the BJP...And now after the negative wave against it post demonetisation, we find such an experience could be repeated in UP," the leader said on condition of anonymity.

"Rahul Gandhi has taken a very tough stand against
demonetisation, terming it as the biggest scam and all opposition parties have also agreed with his stand...Why not capitalise on this sentiment," stressed the Congress leader.
Accepting that there are some back channel efforts to firm up an alliance, he said Congress will not agree to less than 100 seats which it has already identified.

"Besides the 29 seats it won in the last Assembly polls and 31 others on which it had finished second, there are some 50 other constituencies where the party has good chance," he said.
"Such an alliance is also in the interest of Samajwadi Party which desperately needs to secure a strong platform to ward off division of Muslim votes in order to consolidate its position," he said.
BSP is posing a stiff challenge to Samajwadi Party and is going all out to woo Muslim voters and this is a concern for SP, he noted.
Congress had launched its poll preparations much in advance, roping in election strategist Prashant Kishor and announced the name of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate with an eye on Brahmin votes.