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With the political situation in Uttar Pradesh deteriorating, the Congress is veering around to the view that it would gain if the assembly is dissolved, a party general secretary said on Thursday.
He said this before leaving for Mount Abu, where a two-day conclave of chief ministers from Congress-ruled states is being held.
The party got this feeling thanks to the rousing reception accorded by the people of Uttar Pradesh to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi recently.
"Madam's [Gandhi] recent visit to UP, including Varanasi and Jhansi, has given us a good idea that our party's political fortunes are on the upswing even in the Mayawati-ruled state. We can get many more than the 25 [assembly seats] that we have at present," he said.
He indicated that the party's "rising fortunes" in UP had convinced the high command that it would be impolitic to help the Samajwadi Party pull down the Bahujan Samaj Party-Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state.
Sonia will address the chief ministers' conclave in Mount Abu, where a realistic picture is expected to emerge. The Congress is in power in 14 states while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre seems beset in scandals.
Significantly, Chief Minister Mayawati, in view of the threat to her government from dissident BJP legislators and the SP, has asked her party MLAs to be ready for midterm polls.
On Thursday, even a BSP legislator raised a banner of revolt against party chief Mayawati, adding to her woes and accentuating the political uncertainty in the state.
However, the BJP central leadership is stoutly maintaining that the Mayawati government is not under any threat.
BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley said, "As far as the BJP is concerned, the situation in UP is improving."
However, the Congress leader said, "The Mayawati government has only survived this far because of the state governor [Vishnukant Shastri] and assembly speaker [Kesrinath Tripathi], both of whom are hardcore Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh men."
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