Congress Working On Samata

Differences between the Bharatiya Janata Party and ally Samata Party over the Hindutva agenda has enthused the Congress to send feelers to the latter for a post-election alliance. In this move, Congress leaders are driven by the belief that their party may emerge stronger than the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Samata leaders, however are making any committments as they want to keep their options open. At the same time, they have not spurned the Congress offer either, and privately even acknowledge their incompatibility with the BJP. The party openly says that it merely has a seat adjustment with the BJP and not an alliance. Both parties are contesting on their respective manifestos.

 

Observers say that the Samata Party will stay with the BJP in the event of the BJP emerging stronger in the election, and is in a position to form the next government. The relationship, however, could deteriorate if the BJP fails to form a government.

Common friends are said to be already in touch with Samata leaders here, discussing the various post-election scenarios, sources in the party say.

The Samata Party mainly consists of Socialist stream leaders like George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar. In fact, most of the party would have been part of the Janata Dal, but for the intolerance of Laloo Prasad Yadav towards Nitish Kumar and his supporters who hail from the Kurmi and Koeri castes belonging to the OBCs. Until some time ago, Laloo Yadav dominated Bihar politics, and it did not matter to him if Kumar parted ways.

Laloo Yadav would have politically decimated Kumar during the 1996 election itself, but a weakened Samata decided to ally with the BJP. According to a Samata Party source, it was not easy for the party to mentally prepare itself for an alliance with the BJP, but that was the only way to survive.

Samatas alliance with the BJP has worked well in the State, except for minor problems over whether Nitish Kumar or a BJP nominee should be projected as the alliances future chief minister.

The latest differences have cropped up on two issues. One, the RSS has suddenly tightened its hold over the BJP, making it suspect in the eyes of its allies to the extent that even Akali Dal, the BJPs ally in Punjab, and AIADMKs Jayalalitha, have demarcated themselves from the BJPs Hindu agenda.

Secondly, the Congress appears to be on a comeback trail due to Sonia Gandhi. There is also the possibility of a formidable non-BJP, anti-Laloo Yadav alliance emerging in the state. Alternatively, a much weakened Laloo Yadav, if further humbled in the current elections, might even change his attitude to Samata.