Umbrella Coalition

The Congress is pursuing pre-poll alliances with the BSP, Samajwadi Party and Gondwana Gantantra Party to consolidate the anti-BJP vote

- Rahul Noronha

The Madhya Pradesh assembly elections later this year could see the Congress contest in a pre-poll alliance with three other opposition parties—the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP)—in a bid to prevent a division of the anti-BJP vote.

It’s not official yet, but the state Congress leadership, after initial discussions, appears inclined to give 20-30 seats to the prospective allies. The BSP, which polled 6.4 per cent votes and won four seats in the 2013 election, is reportedly driving a hard bargain. Besides the four constituencies it holds, the party wants 12 seats where it had finished a runner-up as well as another 14 where it expects to do well this year. The Congress is banking on state president Kamal Nath, who enjoys a good rapport with Mayawati, to contain the BSP’s demand to under 20 seats.