SP yet to reveal cards, but Cong starts working on numbers
The Samajwadi Party, an important player in the Congress’ contingency plan, is not expected to reveal its cards soon.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: The Samajwadi Party, an important player in the Congress��� contingency plan, is not expected to reveal its cards soon. The SP will take a stand on supporting the Congress only after party general secretary Amar Singh returns to the Capital from the US on June 29.
This could mean the Congress engaging the Left in negotiations till this month-end and the likelihood of cancellation of the UPA-Left coordination panel meeting scheduled for June 25. This will be decided by Ms Sonia Gandhi on Saturday.
Although the CPM on Friday continued its efforts to enlist the SP���s support to its stand against the nuclear deal, the SP has refrained from making any commitment to its ���natural ally��� . There is a growing feeling in the Left that Mulayam Singh���s decision will be based on flaccid pragmatism rather than ideological preferences.
The Congress, if it indeed goes ahead with this Plan B, will have to factor in the political cost of a bitter end to the association with the Left. Mr Yadav will also extract his pound of flesh for sustaining an arrangement at the Centre.
In the event of Mr Yadav crossing over to the ruling side, it would mean a formal demise of the UNPA. The anti-Congress parties in the UNPA may move to other political tents. But Mr Yadav seems to have set his eyes on Uttar Pradesh and his principal objective is to emerge as a key player in the Lok Sabha.
As of now, the SP���s 39 members in the Lok Sabha is quite appealing for the Congress. With allies just not ready to sacrifice power, this group will be a critical mass that would keep the government going.
After recent Lok Sabha by-elections , UPA minus the Left has 230 seats in the House ��� 42 short of the half-way mark. If the Left and two Kerala Congress members (62 members ) and BJP-led NDA plus MDMK (which have 170 MPs) come together, the opposing side will have 232 MPs. If the 39-member SP takes a helping attitude towards UPA, its number goes up to 269, just three short of the magic figure for survival.
The Congress, sources said, hopes Ajit Singh���s RLD which has three members and Mr Deve Gowda���s JD(S) with equal number of MPs could help the UPA cross the half-way mark. In addition, the Congress feels it will have some support from among the six independents even as two members of National Conference and one of TRS could remain at least neutral.
On the other hand, if the BSP with 17 MPs decides to oppose the UPA along with NDA and Left, their combined tally will be 249. Even if the anti-Congress elements in the UNPA like TDP, HLD and AGP join them, their combined strength will still not be enough to vote out the government.
TRUMP CARD
As of now, the Samajwadi Party���s 39 members in the Lok Sabha are quite appealing for the Congress. With allies just not ready to sacrifice power, this group will be a critical mass that would keep the government at the Centre going.
This could mean the Congress engaging the Left in negotiations till this month-end and the likelihood of cancellation of the UPA-Left coordination panel meeting scheduled for June 25. This will be decided by Ms Sonia Gandhi on Saturday.
Although the CPM on Friday continued its efforts to enlist the SP���s support to its stand against the nuclear deal, the SP has refrained from making any commitment to its ���natural ally��� . There is a growing feeling in the Left that Mulayam Singh���s decision will be based on flaccid pragmatism rather than ideological preferences.
The Congress, if it indeed goes ahead with this Plan B, will have to factor in the political cost of a bitter end to the association with the Left. Mr Yadav will also extract his pound of flesh for sustaining an arrangement at the Centre.
In the event of Mr Yadav crossing over to the ruling side, it would mean a formal demise of the UNPA. The anti-Congress parties in the UNPA may move to other political tents. But Mr Yadav seems to have set his eyes on Uttar Pradesh and his principal objective is to emerge as a key player in the Lok Sabha.
As of now, the SP���s 39 members in the Lok Sabha is quite appealing for the Congress. With allies just not ready to sacrifice power, this group will be a critical mass that would keep the government going.
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After recent Lok Sabha by-elections , UPA minus the Left has 230 seats in the House ��� 42 short of the half-way mark. If the Left and two Kerala Congress members (62 members ) and BJP-led NDA plus MDMK (which have 170 MPs) come together, the opposing side will have 232 MPs. If the 39-member SP takes a helping attitude towards UPA, its number goes up to 269, just three short of the magic figure for survival.
The Congress, sources said, hopes Ajit Singh���s RLD which has three members and Mr Deve Gowda���s JD(S) with equal number of MPs could help the UPA cross the half-way mark. In addition, the Congress feels it will have some support from among the six independents even as two members of National Conference and one of TRS could remain at least neutral.
On the other hand, if the BSP with 17 MPs decides to oppose the UPA along with NDA and Left, their combined tally will be 249. Even if the anti-Congress elements in the UNPA like TDP, HLD and AGP join them, their combined strength will still not be enough to vote out the government.
TRUMP CARD
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As of now, the Samajwadi Party���s 39 members in the Lok Sabha are quite appealing for the Congress. With allies just not ready to sacrifice power, this group will be a critical mass that would keep the government at the Centre going.
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