How close’s comfortable? Cong not sure

Protecting its votebank from the politics of vendetta in UP, Congress today sought UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s reassurance ...

Protecting its votebank from the politics of vendetta in UP, Congress today sought UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s reassurance against any backlash against Dalits and weaker sections.

After the new government’s move dropping charges against Raja Bhaiyya, the Congress high command is learnt to have sought a surety from Yadav that the weaker sections and Dalits would not be targeted for political reasons.

At the same time, Congress also said tonight that it would wait for the setting up of a coordination committee and charting a Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

375px;margin-bottom: 15px;">

Story continues below this ad

The party also reiterated that the CWC decision not to join the government was ‘‘for the time being’’ and that it was ‘‘not final.’’ Taking his recent change in stance to an end, Mulayam ‘‘prayed’’ to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to join his government.

He has been making conciliatory noises for the last two days, starting with saying that Gandhi’s foreign origin ‘‘was a thing of past,’’ to declaring that his decision in 1999 to stay out of the Congress coalition was ‘‘a mistake.’’ Emerging from the meeting, Mulayam said: ‘‘With Congress supporting us, the myth in this country about both the parties has been dispelled.’’

‘‘I also begged her to join the government. She said that the CWC had, earlier, taken a decision to support the government from outside. Gandhi also assured us that she will consider our proposal and discuss with senior leaders,’’ he said. On the Congress demand for a CMP, he said: ‘‘It is a coalition of many parties. The CMP will be finalised after discussion with coalition partners.’’

Though his coalition looks stable at the moment, with the Samajwadi Party’s numbers going up to 185 MLAs, Mulayam has reasons for ensuring the Congress joins him in the government. He would like to deny the Congress the advantage it would enjoy by staying out of the government and share decision-making on controversial issues like reopening of the prosecution in the Ayodhya case.