Cong strikes a deal with RLD for 2012 UP elections

In an attempt to make Rahul Gandhi’s “Mission Uttar Pradesh 2012” a success, Congress on Saturday sealed a deal with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), whose head Ajit Singh also decided to join the ruling coalition at the Centre.

"Sonia Gandhi has accepted in principle to make RLD a constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)," Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters after the meeting between the two parties. Dwivedi further informed newspersons that Ajit Singh will write a letter to Sonia Gandhi, who is also the chairperson of UPA, to begin the formalities of joining the ruling coalition. RLD is the first party to join the Congress - led coalition at the Centre after the 2009 general election. According to Congress leader Mohan Prakash, who was also present at Ajit Singh-Sonia Gandhi meeting, RLD will also get its share in power and Ajit Singh is expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in near future amid possibilities of him joining the Cabinet. Prakash, who heads Congress’ UP screening committee hailed RLD joining the UPA and fighting state assembly elections in alliance with Congress as a "game changer." "It will be a game changer in UP elections," he said. Ajit Singh, 72, is likely to get 45 seats for the RLD, according to the pre-poll arrangement that is likely to be announced by next week. Talks for alliance between the two parties had been going  on for quite sometime. According to sources, both the parties reached a common ground at a meeting between Ajit Singh and Rahul Gandhi on Friday. In political circles, the alliance is being seen as a significant move in the elections to the 403-member UP Assembly. In 2007 Assembly elections in the state, Congress came fourth with 21 seats. RLD, with its vote base mainly among the Jat community in the sugarcane belt of western UP managed 10 of the 254 seats it contested.