UP Cong tries hard to keep flock together

NEW DELHI: Having come under intense pressure from its UP legislators who are keen to join the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, the Congress is now trying hard to pacify its over-eager MLAs. Its leaders are at pains to explain that the party has decided to extend outside support to the SP-led government but ''''only for the time being''''.
It is hoping that by adding this rider, its restive UP legislators will be suitably reassured that the option of joining the government is still open.Party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters on Monday that the Congress leadership will have detailed consultations with all concerned players after the trust vote in the UP assembly, adding that ''''a decision in the best interests of the Congress and the state'''' would be taken.
Although Congress leaders put up a brave face, maintaining that the UP legislators will ''''respect and accept'''' the decision of the central leadership, they were clearly embarrassed by their open eagerness to join the government. Senior UP Congress leaders have made their intentions known publicly even after the central leadership announced its decision. ''''This is a sign of inner-party democracy. The UP legislators have certain perceptions and they have conveyed these to their leaders. At the same time, they have also said that they will abide by the party decision,'''' said Congress general secretary Ambika Soni.
Senior Congress leaders maintained that several factors had influenced their decision. Initially, the Congress had been wary about the public perception that the formation of the SP-led secular government was facilitated by the BJP.
The Congress would have also liked Mulayam to first discuss a common minimum programme to serve as a basis for the functioning of the ruling coalition as was done in Bihar and, more recently, in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress would have liked him to spell out his stand on the controversial Ram Mandir issue and the ongoing trial of senior BJP leaders in a Rae Bareli court. Above all, the Congress wants to keep a distance from the SP to send out a signal to the BSP that it is open for an electoral understanding with it in the coming four assembly elections.