The Congress is set to change it team of spokespersons. Ahead of the lok Sabha elections, half a dozen spokespersons might be appointed and around a dozen leaders fielded to put across the party’s views on television. Apart from posting a new female face, the party has also trained some of its State leaders in media workshops for the purpose
The Congress has started thinking about pre-poll alliances. Although the decision will be taken after judging the result and strength of probable allies in the forthcoming Assembly elections due in five states, work on it has started. Congress leaders are in contact with anti-BJP parties and are assessing their strength. Congress sources say wherever the party is weak, it will surely go for an alliance. There is a probability of a pre-poll alliance in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In Maharashtra, the alliance between the Congress and the NCP will continue. In Kerala, Kashmir and UP, the Congress will certainly go for a pre-poll alliance.
In Bihar, Congress leaders are in contact with both regional parties, ie, the JD(U) and the RJD. However, Nitish Kumar every now and then assumes an anti-Congress stance in trying to establish himself as a third front leader. So, there is the least possibility of the Congress going into an alliance with the JD(U), a reason why there is a greater chance of the Congress going with the RJD-lJP combine. The Congress has expectations from the DMK in Tamil Nadu and TMC in West Bengal. In Andhra Pradesh, Congress leaders have their eyes set on both Jaganmohan Reddy and K Chandrashekhar Rao.
BJP AlSO WANTS OlD AllIES
Congress leaders are hopeful that anti-BJP parties will come to them; in the same vein, the BJP is hopeful that ultimately anti-Congress parties will join its alliance. BJP leaders are trying to resurrect the old NDA. They have not met with much success but the parties that were once with the BJP are sympathetic to it. Although many parties are not in favour of a pre-poll alliance, BJP leaders are hopeful that once they cross the 180 mark, all old allies will automatically return to them.
There were 24 parties in the NDA during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime; now, of those 24, only two parties — the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal — are with the NDA. But, ahead of the elections old parties have started coming back to the NDA. The INlD, TDP and AGP will join the NDA. In the two big states of South India — Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh — the BJP is hopeful of an alliance with Jayalalitha and Chandrababu Naidu. In Orissa, Naveen Patnaik might come to the NDA fold. The BJP will contest around 400 seats; on others there will be an alliance with old allies. BJP leaders are confident that after the results of the forthcoming Assembly elections, the old allies will start returning.
NEW SPOKESPERSONS FOR CONGRESS
The Congress is set to change its team of spokespersons. Ahead of the lok Sabha elections, half a dozen spokespersons might be appointed and around a dozen leaders will be named to put across the party’s view on television. Currently, most Congress spokespersons are lok Sabha MPs, barring Meem Afzal. Sandeep Dikshit, PC Chacko, Raj Babbar and Bhakta Charan Das are lok Sabha MPs. The in-charge of the Congress’ media wing is Ajay Maken, MP from New Delhi, and Priya Dutta, who is working with Maken, is an MP from Mumbai.
On the other hand, most spokespersons of the BJP are not MPs. leaders like Sudhanshu Trivedi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Meenakshi lekhi are not MPs. Although Shahnawaz Hussain is an MP, he will move to Bihar to fight the elections. Therefore, a couple of new faces may be added as BJP spokespersons. But the Congress is more in need of new faces. It is being said that the only female face in the team of spokespersons of the Congress has been eased out so a new female face can be accommodated in the new team of spokespersons. Apart from this, some State leaders who have been trained in media workshops may be named in the list of spokespersons for television.
RESPONSIBIlITIES OF SP MINISTERS
Expansion and reshuffle of the Akhilesh Yadav Cabinet are expected any time. Although there have been several reshuffles in the one-and-a-half year old Akhilesh Government, this time changes are being made keeping the lok Sabha elections in mind. It is said the changes will be made under the supervision of Mulayam Singh and his old colleagues. Ministers are being selected on the basis of socio-politico equations for the elections; they will have to give assurance for the victory of SP candidates in their areas. If a party candidate is defeated in their areas, action will be taken against them and they can lose their portfolios.
PAWAR VS CONGRESS
Politics of NCP chief Sharad Pawar is making the Congress uneasy. The party did not pay any attention when Jaganmohan Reddy met several leaders to garner support against the division of Andhra Pradesh but Congress leaders started panicking after Jagan’s meeting with Sharad Pawar. The reason: Jagan is in regular contact with Sharad Pawar and both of them are devising a future strategy. Although, on the issue of dividing the State, Pawar did not give any assurance to Jagan he certainly showed sympathy for the latter’s demand. The Congress is of the view that Jagan’s eyes are set on Andhra Pradesh while Pawar is eyeing the Prime Minister’s post. The Congress is more worried about the fact that Pawar can woo its probable alliance partners.
MUlAYAM FOR PM
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has also speeded up his candidature for the Prime Minister’s post. When he turned 75, he and his old colleagues claimed the party would win 75 out of 80 seats in UP. Appeal was made to SP leaders and workers that if they want to see Mulayam as PM they should work to assure victory on 75 seats. Veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari also participated in Mulayam’s birthday function.
The 89-year-old Tiwari said he wished to see Mulayam as PM although some days ago Tiwari had met Sonia Gandhi and it was learnt that he would work for the Congress alone. After meeting Sonia he had returned to Uttarakhand. However, Congress leaders are confused after Tiwari’s appeal on Mulayam’s birthday. In fact, Mulayam and Akhilesh have been using Tiwari for the past couple of months. They hope Tiwari will be useful in attracting Brahmin voters. SP leaders are speculating that miracles can happen if the Brahmin vote bank is combined with their party’s traditional and core vote bank.