[Seized with a mysterious death wish? Not that the SP in Maharashtra really counts. Nevertheless. The BJP, in the meanwhile, has stitched up alliances with all the four smaller parties who had been the constituents of the now dissolved Maha Yuti.]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Congress-snaps-ties-with-SP-in-Maharashtra/articleshow/43666735.cms Congress snaps ties with SP in Maharashtra Swati Mathur,TNN | Sep 28, 2014, 02.22 AM IST LUCKNOW: A day after entering into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in poll-bound Maharashtra, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the Congress high command did not approve of a tie-up with SP. On Friday, the Congress had promised to enter an alliance with the SP on five seats, with talks still on over three more. Though the SP had initially said it would fight for up to 50 seats if it contested the election alone, the party may now have to settle for less than half the number with only two days remaining before the nomination deadline comes to a close. The last-minute snapping of ties drew a sharp reaction from the SP camp. Saying he would expose Congress' "treacherous behaviour", Maharashtra SP chief Abu Azmi said, "I received a call from Congress PCC president Manikrao Thakre informing me that the alliance was not to continue because leaders in Delhi did not approve of it." With the last-minute pulling out of support upsetting the SP's election strategy--the last date for filing of nominations is September 29--Azmi also said he had met with the CM but was not given any indication of the alliance being in trouble. "We discussed how we would work together to ensure that secular votes aren't split," he said. According to the seat sharing arrangement with the Congress, the SP had decided to field its candidates on five assembly seats--Bhiwandi East, Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar and Kurla in Mumbai, apart from Aurangabad Central and Udgir in Latur district. Three other seats, Azmi told TOI, were still under discussion when the ties were snapped. The last-minute retraction, sources in the Congress told TOI, occurred because the central command of the Congress was "not aware" of the seat-sharing agreement between the two parties. Sources also said the Maharashtra Congress president had attempted to write off some seats on which the Congress was strong, including one seat where the party had a sitting MLA. A party functionary said "when Delhi heard of these developments, the offer of alliance was turned down. Congress will, therefore, contest the elections alone." The SP, on the other hand, said it will remain open to post-poll alliances with secular parties. Azmi, however, said any alliance with the Congress was now out of question. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
