With an eye on UP, BSP and the Congress to join hands in MP and Chhattisgarh

New Delhi, Sep 14: The Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is likely to be announced soon with the BSP demanding 50 seats out of 230 in MP and 14 in Chhattisgarh out of 90 at the moment but if this alliance happens, it will pave the way for alliance between the two parties in Uttar Pradesh where they have fair chances to do well.

Sources said that the Congress and the BSP have been trying to resolve the issue of seat sharing for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly elections and that would be resolved very soon. But both the parties are more interested for Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha elections. Political analyst like Badri Narayan feels that if Dalits and Brahmins join hands in Uttar Pradesh they become almost invincible in the state.

So if the alliance of the Congress and the BSP goes into elections of Madhya Pradesh and even a small success is achieved, they will more be able to cash in on in Uttar Pradesh. Sources said that forget about mahagathbandhan in Uttar that will have the Congress, the BSP and the Samajwadi Party, even if the BSP and the Congress joins hands they will disturb the arithmetic of the BJP.

He said that the upper caste community is already disappointed with the BJP for its many decisions. If the Congress and the BSP join hands, the upper caste might tilt towards the Congress which at the moment is indecisive. Moreover, the attitude of the BJP leaders towards the upper caste community that it does not have any option except voting for BJP is infuriating the community.

A Brahmin BJP leader on condition of anonymity said that upper caste voters might sit back home not to vote anyone and this will damage the chances of the BJP as the community has been voting the party en-mass. With the BSP and the Congress joining hands, they will be looked upon as possible challengers.

The alliance of the Congress and the BSP will work as there is a huge border that the MP shared with Uttar Pradesh and its impact will be visible right from the time of Assembly elections. The Congress wants to give 20-22 seats in Madhya Pradesh and seven to nine in Chhattisgarh but both the parties are keen to have a seat-sharing agreement.

Dalits account for more than 15 per cent of MP's 7.5 crore population and 11.6 per cent of Chhattisgharh's 2.6 crore population making the Congress very interested in an alliance with the BSP. There are around 22 per cents Dalits in Uttar Pradesh and the Congress will be a junior partner if alliance happens there.