The hot seat of Karhal is in news again, and this time because of the Congress party. After Akhilesh Yadav and BJP’S SP Singh Baghel filed their nominations. There were wide speculations about Congress’ candidate from the Karhal Seat.
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Congress at the last minute stopped its candidate Gyanwati Devi, from filing her nominations, whose name was previously announced. The Congress, district president of Mainpuri, Gopal Kulshrestha told the media that this step was taken on party high command’s direction.
Congress has not only withdrawn its candidate from the Karhal assembly seat. But has also decided to not field any candidate against Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav. Shivpal Singh Yadav, who parted ways from the Samajwadi Party after a family feud is contesting from Jaswant Nagar on an SP ticket.
Arithmetic of UP Elections
The state of Uttar Pradesh has seen all kinds of alliances and coalitions, some pre-polls, and some post polls. The alliance of Congress and the Samajwadi party suffered a major jolt in the 2017 assembly polls. In the 2017 elections, Congress that calls itself ‘A National Party’ managed to win only seven out of a hundred and seventeen seats it contested.
There were speculations of some kind of pre-poll alliance between Congress and the Samajwadi Party this time also. But learning lessons from the past experiences and realizing that media attention grabbed by Priyanka Gandhi is going to benefit the grand old party, Yadav turned down the issue of alliance.
Congress with an attempt at feminine politics had announced to contest on all 403 seats on its own. But Congress does not seem to stand by what it said. The grand old party is not fielding any candidate against two prominent leaders. But this is the first time.
History of Political Courtesy
Refraining from fielding candidates against prominent Samajwadi leaders is not something new for Congress. This is also true vice versa. Ever since Sonia Gandhi took over the reins of Congress, Samajwadi Party has not fielded any candidates from Rai Bareilly and Amethi which have been the Lok Sabha constituencies of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi themselves.
In return for this favour, Congress did not field candidates against Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav on seats like Mainpuri, Azamgarh and Kannauj, specifically the seats from where the members of the Yadav family contested.
Political Courtesy OR Desperation
The political pundits may mention this move as a political courtesy. But actually, this move of congress displays its desperation. Congress never expected that it will be left out of the Anti-BJP alliance in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Not being able to crack a coalition in Uttar Pradesh has been a major setback to Congress.
Congress that neither has a voter base nor a dedicated cadre had announced to fight on all 403 seats. Now, Congress has all hopes on a post-poll alliance.
Congress after trying to launch Rahul Gandhi as the face of the grand old party several times, now have turned to his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Priyanka Gandhi earlier accused of Political tourism has been in the news since elections of the UP state have been speculated. Under her leadership marathons and rallies, meetings have been held in UP, and all of that has led to party workers drifting away. The senior political leaders struggling in the state of UP have been feeling sidelined and ignored due to her helicopter landing.
Priyanka may have been successful to gain coverage from Lutyen’s Media but on the ground, her presence, and the impact she can make is still questionable. In this situation, Congress has no option left, other than appeasing the old alliance partners. Only this way the grand old party can hold some power in the state. But the question to hold power comes with conditions. First, if any of Congress’ candidates manage to register a victory. Second, if Akhilesh sets up an arithmetic against BJP.
The grand old party is trying to play safe in Uttar Pradesh, fighting the battle on its own, trying to give out a message that it is strong enough, and at the same time keeping the door open for a post-poll alliance by pleasing the old alliance partners. Congress’ desperate search of the winning mantra has unveiled the real face of the grand old party in front of the public. Congress itself is establishing its image as an opportunistic party that fights elections, not with the will to represent the public, but to daunt the BJP. Congress, with its move, has said it out loud that the grand old party is just Anti-BJP and not pro-people. They have no vision for the people of the nation, all they wish is the loss of the BJP.
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Post-Poll Alliance: An opportunism
Pre-Poll Alliance is often welcomed by the voters as it is done on the conditions of fulfilment of common minimum policies. Traditional vote banks of the political parties are also kept in mind while deciding on alliance partners.
But post-poll alliances are not often welcomed. As the political parties form a post-poll alliance, just to gain political advantages, sometimes to retain ministries and sometimes for the post of the chief minister. The voters of the country have never appreciated post-poll alliances. Also, parties entering into post-poll alliances have often encountered public rage and suffered losses in the next elections. In India, a post-poll alliance is looked down on as mere opportunism.
Congress, a party with no strong national leadership, constantly sidelining the hardworking leaders, no cadre has put the last nail in its coffin by keeping the door open for a post-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
