Congress general secretary in charge of Himachal Pradesh, Mohsina Kidwai, on Tuesday said the party has not yet taken a decision on a possible pre-poll alliance with former Union minister Sukh Ram's Himachal Vikas Congress.
Himachal Pradesh, where the HVC played a crucial role in government formation last time, goes to polls on February 26.
Speaking to rediff.com at the party headquarters in New Delhi, Kidwai said discussions with Sukh Ram were still on.
Earlier, senior Congress leader Satyajit Gaekwad had told television networks that the Congress had decided not to join hands with the HVC as a partnership with Sukh Ram would weaken its anti-corruption poll plank.
Sukh Ram last year was convicted in a corruption case. The former Union communications minister has challenged the conviction in a higher court.
"We are talking to Virbhadra Singh and others in the Himachal Pradesh Congress. We would take a final decision in this regard in a day or so," Kidwai said.
Sukh Ram said he would wait till Tuesday evening before taking a final decision.
"I have made my offer both to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The ball is in their court and they have to decide whether to accept my offer or not. I would leave for Mandi in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday evening. Our parliamentary board would meet on January 30. In case we are forced to go alone, we would contest all seats," he said.
Kuldeep Kumar, a Congress MLA and former minister in the Virbhadra Singh government, said the party does not stand to gain anything by forging an alliance with Sukh Ram.
"His area of influence is restricted to Mandi and that too in four to five seats. We do not think he would be able to win more then two seats," he said.
BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu, meanwhile, has constituted a four-member committee comprising Arun Jaitley, Madan Lal Khurana, Shanta Kumar and chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to take a final decision on Sukh Ram's offer.
Sukh Ram has demanded 23 seats from the BJP, while he has sent a list of 18 to the Congress.
