Attempts by both the UPA as well as the NDA to enlarge their alliance base hit a rough patch on Wednesday as seat sharing arrangements between the BJP and AGP as well as that between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) virtually broke off after negotiators failed to end the stalemate over contentious seats.
At the last minute, the BJP leadership had to cancel a scheduled joint press conference at the party headquarters on Wednesday that had been called to announce the tie-up with the AGP. Party circles indicated that differences over Guwahati seat led to the cancellation of the press conference that was to be jointly addressed by senior leader and NDA prime ministerial candidate LK Advani, BJP president Rajnath Singh and AGP president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
There was similar disappointment in the UPA camp too. In a clear indication that the alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh was entering the danger zone, the latter this evening decided to release its first list of 24 candidates in the state. ?Congress president Sonia Gandhi kept on trying her best. But now it is our compulsion as we cannot wait endlessly,? UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi told reporters this evening. ?Our candidates have to go and begin campaigning. We cannot keep on having negotiations? she said.
The Congress has been demanding 25 out of 80 seats in the state. The UPCC chief, however, maintained that the alliance had not been called off. ?From our side we have always maintained that we want a tie-up,?she said. ?But any understanding is not possible in which the SP wants to slaughter all our known faces. What is the use of having such an alliance? she countered pointing our that the Congress had known names like Salman Khursheed, Raj Babbar and RPN Singh in its stable who were formidable candidates.
Talks between the Congress and the SP has been going on for some time now with neither side willing to make any climb down from their stands. The SP has so far announced 62 candidates in the state having 80 seats. The AICC general secretary in charge, Digvijay Singh earlier rejected suggestions that there could be a friendly fight between the two parties. ?I have said on many occasions that there is no meaning of having friendly fights. A fight is a fight,? he had maintained.
In the BJP camp, party leaders till late evening were trying to renegotiate with the AGP. The AGP has been demanding the Guwahati seat, where it has four sitting MLAs and a strong hold over the parliamentary constituency. Further it is also not willing to pledge itself to being a part of the NDA, a clear sign that it wants to keep its post poll options on aligning with the Third Front open.