'Sangam' with long-term hint

LUCKNOW: Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday described their alliance as a "response" to the rise of "fascist forces" and claimed that this would give direction to the entire country against "the politics of hatred and anger". Addressing a joint media conference in Lucknow, the two "friends" underscored their "personal chemistry" and Rahul disclosed how they exchanged pleasantries through text messages when the tie-up talks had run into rough weather. They repeatedly contended that the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance would set the country on the "right path". The assertion triggered questions about a coalition for the 2019 general election and the candidate for Prime Minister but neither was willing to predict the possibilities that lie ahead. Rahul and Akhilesh appeared eager not to divert attention from the Assembly election by talking about something that can't fructify two years in advance. But Rahul's elaboration on the "similarities" between the ideologies of the two parties and the "larger cause" suggested the alliance was not a tactical compromise and they could explore a long-term partnership. Asked about his earlier observation that the Congress was destroyed in Uttar Pradesh because former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had aligned with the Bahujan Samaj Party in 1996, Rahul said: "History is not static. It changes. If the alliance with the BSP was wrong then, it doesn't mean this alliance too is wrong. These are different circumstances. This alliance is good for the country, for the Congress and for the SP." Akhilesh too spoke of a five-year deal and gave a glimpse of the scope of the coalition by saying: " Desh ko sahi raah pe le jayenge (Will take the country on the right path.)" Personal rapport It was unusual of Rahul to be so demonstrative of his emotional bonding with Akhilesh. Rahul described the ups and downs during the negotiations as "part of posturing" and said: "We are friends. He pretended to be angry; I in turn showed a little bit of annoyance. But we were exchanging SMSes during that period... 'how are you doing, how are you?'." The body language too suggested Rahul and Akhilesh were at ease with each other; they seamlessly intervened in each other's domain to answer questions, touched each other and laughed through the media conference. This was in sharp contrast to the frigid show when the state chiefs of both parties announced the alliance a few days ago. On Sunday, after the media conference, the rapport was on display during the roadshow that drew an impressive crowd. While Akhilesh said he knew Rahul at a personal level and was happy to work with him politically, the Congress leader said: "The alliance is the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna, out of which the Saraswati of development will originate." Determined not to rub Akhilesh the wrong way, Rahul took care not even to hint the Congress was a bigger national party when asked to identify the Ganga and the Yamuna. "Have you seen the Sangam in Allahabad? You can't distinguish the identities of the two rivers," Rahul said. Asked about his "27 saal/UP behaal" slogan that claimed the state was ruined during the non-Congress rule of 27 years, Rahul recalled that even then he had described Akhilesh as a good boy whose intentions were right and who was not allowed to work properly. Told about the BJP's charge of "goondagardi" and "corruption" coming together, Rahul said: "They are talking about themselves." Despite being an Opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul was obviously careful of avoiding any jarring note. Maya gesture The only point that raised eyebrows in this perfect political tango was Rahul's praise of BSP leader Mayawati. Responding to a question about Mayawati's party, Rahul said: "The BSP may have committed some mistakes. We all do that when in power. But my personal respect for Mayawatiji is intact because she doesn't do the politics of hatred like the BJP. Mayawati's politics does not pose any threat to the country. You cannot compare the ideology of the BSP with that of the RSS-BJP." Congress sources said Rahul was not willing to be harsh on Mayawati as he intended to project the alliance as a response to the rising threat of communalism and bigotry. One of the purposes of the alliance is to win over Muslim voters and hence Rahul kept the entire focus on the BJP. He also avoided criticising Mayawati's politics to send out a clear message that the agenda for Dalit empowerment was a common goal. Hence, Rahul added: "My respect for Mayawati is intact. Like my respect for Kanshi Ram." Mayawati, whose party's poll fortunes will be hit if the Congress-SP alliance clicks, responded later: "The SP-Congress alliance is a design of the BJP to weaken the BSP in the Assembly polls." Although the leaders of both the Congress and the SP privately contended that Rahul could have talked about Mayawati's unpredictability, given her track record of aligning with the BJP, they asserted that the soft approach was by no means driven by considerations of future alignment. In the coming days, Rahul is expected to harp on Mayawati's penchant to join hands with the BJP. Priyanka & Dimple Using the "Sangam" metaphor to define the alliance around a dozen times, Rahul said: "The alliance was for three Ps - progress, prosperity and peace." Akhilesh promptly added another "P", saying, "this will emerge as people's alliance." Asked about the seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli, Rahul said: "There are some outstanding issues. But they are not central to the alliance, they are peripheral issues. The purpose is to defeat the BJP." Asked whether Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav, the wife of Akhilesh, will campaign for the alliance, Rahul said: "Priyanka has been of tremendous help to me. She is an asset to the Congress... she has been instrumental in major party decisions. Whether she campaigns or not, it's her choice." Akhilesh intervened: "Dimple is an MP, she will decide what she has to do."