LUCKNOW: Strains have started developing in the Mularam Singh YadayKanshi Ram alliance in Uttar Pradesh even before others like V.P.Singh and the Communists can join a broad-based anti-BJP front in Uttar Pradesh.
The Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) first solo show in the state Capital on Feb,9 gave an indication of this. The BSP supremos patronizing references to the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yaday, and his claim that the BJP was more than enough to combat the Hindutva hysteria on its own were clear pointers that Kanshi Ram is not prepared to remain a junior partner in the tenuous alliance.
Yadav for a change has maintained his cool. Pressed by newsmen to comment on the BJPchief’s remarks about him an unusually subdued Mulayam Singh merely said;”” Whatever he says is right. I don’t want to add anything at this Stage.”
Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Kanshi Ram’s BSP have so far organized only two joint rallies in Manipur and Jhansi. Though Kanshi Ram has not repudiated the alliance he has been touring the state on his own and has organized district rallies at26places without taking help from the Mulayam outfit. Yadav too is not over dependent on the BSP chief and is busy consolidating the Samajwadi Party network in the State by visiting every nook and comer.
The fact that the BSP workers refused to let Samajwadi Party flags be hoisted at Tuesday’s rally in Lucknow was a clear signal that a large section of Kanshi Ram’s outfit was not happy with the “unconditional alliance” with Yadey. This consideration which Kanshi Ram dwelled at length on the reasons for having entered into an alliance with Yaday, He had to repeal again and again that the charges that he had accepted money from Yadav were baseless and the party men should not be confused.
A section of party workers in the BSP as well as SP are uneasy about the partnership. In the rumblings of revolt within BSP have already become pronounced. Though Yaday partymen are not publicly opposing the decision of their party leaders senior party men like Beni Prasad Verma have observations about the lasting utility of the alliance.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 19, 1993
