Left out of the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, even as the Congress is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls on its own in the crucial Hindi heartland State, nevertheless, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram expressed hope that the two UP parties will rethink their decision to exclude the Congress.

“Perhaps this isn’t the last word, maybe there will be some rethink as the elections approach. A truly broad-based alliance will be formed in UP. If necessary, Congress party will contest elections on its own strength,” he told reporters. However, Chidambaram asserted that the Congress will contest the polls on its own if necessary.

Asked to comment on the tie-up announced by BSP-SP, senior Congress leader and AICC secretary general in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad said the party would not react immediately and would come out with a detailed reaction in Lucknow on Sunday.

Azad earlier met Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh and former MP Pramod Tiwari at his residence. “We heard the Press conference of the BSP and SP leaders.

The party will come out with its stand in Lucknow on Sunday,” Azad merely said, while refusing to react on the Congress being left out of the alliance.

He said the party would not react on the announcement on Saturday and any leader commenting on the issue would be putting forth his personal view.  Asked whether the tie-up was a setback for the Congress, he refused to comment.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said Azad would give a structured response to it on Sunday.

“In so far as alliances are concerned, we have always believed that state-specific alliances, which further the progressive and pluralistic ideals, which further consolidate the liberalised idea of India, are the way forward and I think there is space for that,” he said.

On Friday, the Congress had claimed that it would be a “very dangerous mistake” to ignore it in Uttar Pradesh.

For his part, CPI leader D Raja felt that the SP-BSP alliance was not a setback to opposition unity as all the parties were together on defeating the BJP in the Lok Sabha election.

“I do not think it is a setback to opposition unity. Everyone agrees that the primary objective is to defeat the BJP,” he said. Raja asserted that there was no difference among the secular parties and the seat-sharing arrangement would be amicably worked out among them.

“All the secular, democratic parties and the Left parties must work together and ensure that the BJP is defeated in order to save the Constitution and take the country forward.

“The electoral pacts and seat-sharing arrangements will be state specific, taking into consideration the State-level realities. The parties must be realistic and accommodative to each other,” he said.