Mohammed Saud is happy watching this dispute. The last time he had failed to win from the Bhopal North constituency. But this time, the Congress, after much internal bickering, has given the ticket to 26-year-old Atif Aqueel, whose only claim to political fame is his father, Arif Aqueel, who was the MLA before him. Saud thinks AAP’s jhaadu (broom symbol) could sweep this time.
“No kamal (BJP’s lotus symbol), no panja (Congress’s hand symbol); this time it’s our time,” said Saud. “The problem is that both BJP and Congress think that they are the only ones who should occupy the political space. People want change. They want to get more options and we are the ones.” AAP is banking on the large number of first-time voters, who it feels would like to experiment and are impressed by Arvind Kejriwal.
Yash Bhartiya of the Samajwadi Party is angry too, like his boss, Akhilesh Yadav. “They promised us six seats, called us for meetings, and then they do this! I am glad AAP is contesting from here. They are now emerging as a national alternative, so why not?”
Yash also had a warning for the Congress. “We are strong in UP. The Congress must realise this. They need us there and we will remember what they have done to us here.”
Behind these menacing words is an anger and mistrust of the Congress. So far only one meeting on seat-sharing has been held. Any other talks have been repeatedly pushed back.
While the Congress insists that seat-sharing is only for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the SP and AAP have raised the point that there is no harm in testing the waters. In fact, sources say that there was talk that in seats where the Congress is weak and BJP strong, SP and AAP could have helped. But the Congress has often accused both of being B-teams of the BJP and given examples of Gujarat and Goa where a triangular fight hurt the grand old party and helped the saffron outfit.
It’s a battle that is now becoming shriller than the one for MP, and which could resonate even after the results are out.
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