Congress still undecided on making coalitions as party policy

Despite making overtures to like-minded parties to build an anti-BJP platform, the Congress is still undecided on incorporating coalition politics into its policy document as it prepares for the plenary next month.

"We have made an appeal to other parties for joining hands, but we are yet to take a decision on making it a party policy," a senior Congress leader said.

Addressing a meeting of the Congress party in Parliament earlier this month, leader Sonia Gandhi had said she would work with like-minded parties to ensure BJP's defeat in the next general elections.

At the Chintan Shivir in Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh in 1998, the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had propounded the "go it alone" line and dubbed coalition governments a "passing phase".

At the 2003 Vichar Manthan Shivir in Shimla, the Congress made a historic turnaround as Sonia declared that the party was open to alliances to combat communalism and religious fundamentalism for ensuring the defeat of BJP and its allies.

The 2003 turnaround came at a time when the then NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee appeared to be firmly in the saddle and the Congress leaders felt that pursuance of the Pachmarhi declaration of going it alone may not fetch dividends.

After the BJP's massive victory in Uttar Pradesh last year, the talk of alliances to defeat Narendra Modi has gained ground but political rivals appear more keen on holding on to their ground instead of ceding space even to like-minded parties.

All eyes are fixed on possible alliances in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which together send 120 members to the Lok Sabha. While the RJD and the Congress have put up joint candidates in Parliamentary bypolls in Bihar, the SP and Congress have fielded their candidates for bypolls to Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats.

The BSP, on the other hand, has joined hands with JD(S) in Karnataka against the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The Congress is yet to announce drafting committees for the political, economic and international resolutions for the plenary scheduled to be held from March 16-18 in Delhi.