A key agenda before the Congress Working Committee (CWC), scheduled to meet in Ahmedabad on February 28, is alliances. The party top brass will discuss possibilities to iron out differences over alliances in States such as West Bengal and Delhi.

Congress leaders said that apart from organisational issues such as strengthening booth committees, the party will also discuss the way the BJP is “consolidating” the process of building alliances — be it in Tamil Nadu or in Maharashtra.

Division of anti-BJP votes

“Our aim is to defeat the BJP. In places where we are weak or where the BJP is likely to win because of disunity among the Opposition, we will try to consolidate the anti-BJP votes,” a CWC member told BusinessLine. He added that the party was never averse to alliances.

The Congress is in two minds about alliances in Delhi and West Bengal. Both the State units are divided over choosing a partner. In Delhi, one section is against any alliance with the AAP, but the other section argues that splitting the anti-BJP votes will help the BJP win all the seven seats in the State. The AAP had offered two seats to the Congress. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wanted to mediate between both the parties so that there is an alliance. “The CWC will discuss whether we should take this offer or not,” another leader said.

In West Bengal too, a section wants an alliance with the Trinamool Congress, while another wants to continue the electoral tie-up with the Left. “The discussions are at a primary stage here,” the CWC member said.

In M.P. and TN

In Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the Congress has finalised the seat-sharing deal and is likely to be announced soon. “In both the States, we have formed a strong alliance. Their (NDA) desperation was apparent by the way they announced opportunistic alliances abruptly,” another leader said. In States such as Gujarat, M.P., Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the Congress is unlikely to enter into any alliance.