The Congress is confident that its political constituency will consolidate if the Bharatiya Janata Party ropes in hardliners in the campaigning for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
“In UP, the BJP is fighting against the BJP. One can easily see a fight between the BJP and the RSS. And the RSS against RSS,” a senior Congress leader pointed out.
The BJP is shying away from playing the hardline card and even if it plays it, then minorities, dalits would vote decisively to check the saffron party while upper castes will realise how hollow the card is, insiders feel.
It hardly matters whether or not Ms Uma Bharti actively campaigns for the BJP in the election, they said.
According to an agency report from Hardwar, Ms Bharti on Friday met Baba Ramdev, causing a flutter in political circles here.
Ms Bharti, who is in charge of the party’s affairs in Uttar Pradesh, spent about half-an-hour with Ramdev.
In New Delhi, the Congress took a dig at the BJP over the admission of controversial former UP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, a day after the main Opposition approached the President on the Lokpal issue.
“The BJP need not petition President on Lokpal; instead, should create internal ‘Lokpal’ to screen and admit only corrupt applicants like Kushwaha,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.
He said the BJP and the BSP understand each others’ culture. One practises utter hypocrisy by seeking to expel them a few weeks before election and the other welcomes them, he said.
He added that these are the two birds with the same feather. They always flock together, Mr Singhvi said.