UP's Grand Alliance Taking Shape?

The state of Uttar Pradesh, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, may well decide the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, nearly three months away. It comes as no surprise that the posturing is intensifying as parties look to firm up their pre-poll alliance. Reports suggest big regional leaders Mayawati and Akhilesh have met to discuss seat-sharing formula that keeps the Congress out. The Congress has spoken in two voices. While one senior leader, PL Punia, asserted that the party was ready to go alone in the state, UP Congress chief Raj Babbar struck a more conciliatory note when he said "the people of UP want us to fight together to defeat the BJP government". So is the Akhilesh-Mayawati formula, widely believed to be 37 seats each for the SP and the BSP, with a few seats for smaller parties, a done deal or does it still leave room for negotiation since there is no formal announcement? Tonight on "Left Right and Centre", we ask: "is winnability the only factor at play or is there far more at stake with the road to Delhi passing through the state of Uttar Pradesh?"