The alliance issue has become imperative for the Congress in view of Anna Hazare’s stance on opposing the Congress in all the states going for the assembly elections. Anna’s strength will be judged first at the Hisar by poll on October 13 and that way, UP elections are months away, but the Congress leadership is taking no chances with their preparations for the UP elections in view of its importance for the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

Congress assessment shows that the BSP and SP have made big advances in their election plans and these two parties have been able to galvanise the party supporters. BSP supremo Mayawati, after facing initial problems on corruption issue, is now on a image building operation and she is taking action against many of the tainted legislators and ministers. This has helped her to some extent at the moment. As regards Samajwadi Party, the state president Akhilesh Yadav is carrying a massive campaign through his Kranti Rath Yatra programmes and getting massive response. SP has so far got maximum advantage of erosion in the support base of Mayawati. Congress has failed to make full use of that due to its organizational weakness.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi has taken the UP assembly elections as a prestige issue and the state Congress leadership is also fully aware of the consequences if the outcome is not commensurate with the expectations of Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leadership at the centre is fully coordinating with the central government agencies to ensure that the official programmes under central schemes are used to boost the image of the Congress in the state. For the Congress Party, it is a do or die battle in UP assembly elections.

Congress has already announced 135 candidates so far and preparations are under way to clear all the remaining names. The study of the candidates shows that Congress is now relying on social engineering formula to give representation to all castes and religions. The Party has given 70 per cent tickets to those belonging to Muslims, dalits and OBCs. Of the candidates announced under the second list, there are ten Muslims, twenty dalits and fifteen OBCs.

Significantly enough, 25 per cent candidates are outsiders who have joined the Congress from other political parties in recent months. The winnability has been given as main criteria by Party leaders. Congress leadership has made its selection on the basis of detailed survey made by the office of Rahul Gandhi. It has been an exhaustive exercise. Congress leadership in the state has also arranged a meeting of the candidates for briefing by the senior leaders about the strategy to be followed during the campaign. Similarly, the meeting of the media campaign committee of Congress is also being convened to be addressed by Lok Sabha member Raj Babbar. (IPA)