MP polls: Cong may offer BSP 26 seats

  • | Monday | 16th July, 2018

BSP in-charge for MP, R K Rajbhar, had visited Bhopal a few days ago and said that they would contest all 230 seats in MP. Bhopal: Congress and BSP seem to be inching closer to an alliance for the forthcoming assembly election. Sources say Congress is likely to offer BSP 26 seats in the 230-seat Madhya Pradesh assembly and BSP.The seat-sharing formula was discussed at a meeting between Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, PCC chief Kamal Nath and AICC general secretary in charge of MP, Dipak Bawaria on Saturday. Unless there are instructions from Behenji, I can’t say anything on the issue.”A crucial pointer is that BSP did not contest any of the three recent byelections in MP. On Saturday, speaking to TOI from Lucknow, he said: “We have received no directions from the party on the alliance.

Bhopal: Congress and BSP seem to be inching closer to an alliance for the forthcoming assembly election. Sources say Congress is likely to offer BSP 26 seats in the 230-seat Madhya Pradesh assembly and BSP.The seat-sharing formula was discussed at a meeting between Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, PCC chief Kamal Nath and AICC general secretary in charge of MP, Dipak Bawaria on Saturday. There are 35 SC reserved seats in the MP assembly and 47 for ST.State Congress media in-charge Manak Agrawal said: “An alliance with BSP is certain but the number of seats they will contest has not been agreed to, so far.”Kamal Nath, who is in Delhi, could not be contacted for comments. Asked if a proposal on seat-sharing has been sent to BSP, the PCC chief’s local spokesperson, Narendra Saluja, said: “Kamal Nath’s response on this issue continues to be the same. Negotiations over modalities of alliance are being worked out and a decision will be taken at an appropriate time.”BSP, which has so far denied any possibility of an alliance with Congress, appears to have softened its stand. BSP in-charge for MP, R K Rajbhar, had visited Bhopal a few days ago and said that they would contest all 230 seats in MP. On Saturday, speaking to TOI from Lucknow, he said: “We have received no directions from the party on the alliance. Unless there are instructions from Behenji, I can’t say anything on the issue.”A crucial pointer is that BSP did not contest any of the three recent byelections in MP. All three seats -- Chitrakoot, Mungaoli and Kolaras – are in BSP’s area of influence and Congress retained all three despite a massive onslaught by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his ministerial colleagues. BSP’s abstaining for the contest was a key factor in Congress’ morale-boosting victories. The bypoll results spurred the state Congress leadership to aggressively pursue truck with BSP.BSP has considerable influence in 14 districts bordering UP, including Vindhya, Chambal and Bundelkhand, and has consistently polled 7% votes – often larger than the difference between BJP’s winning candidate and Congress.

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