UNPA most enthusiastic about polls
The UNPA, which was being riled by the gang-up of losers till the other day, has become an important grouping for the number crunchers who are speculating about the shape of things to come.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI The UNPA, which was being riled by the gang-up of losers till the other day, has become an important grouping for the number crunchers who are speculating about the shape of things to come.
The UNPA, consisting of TDP in Andhra Pradesh, SP in Uttar Pradesh, AIADMK-MDMK in Tamil Nadu, AGP in Assam and INLD in Haryana, has gelled as a credible grouping, though Ms Jayalalithaa opted for an independent course in the presidential polls. In states where UNPA has its presence, the Congress or its friends are in power.
The five UNPA states together have 176 seats in Parliament, with Uttar Pradesh having a massive 80 seats. In the 14th Lok Sabha the UNPA has just 44 seats with two of its constituents — AIADMK and INLD — having no seats and TDP just managing four. Even hardcore rivals admit that these parties will make gains in the event of an early poll.
The TDP is expected to come back strongly in Andhra Pradesh (42 seats in Parliament) and AIADMK is pegged to put up a good fight in Tamil Nadu (39 seats). The SP might be down after the recent UP assembly polls, but the results proved that the Muslim vote was with the party. In Haryana (10 seats) and Assam (10 seats) too the INLD and the AGP are expected to gain, being the main opposition parties. If the out-of-power UNPA parties can manage to corner a fair share of seats in their respective states, then it would be difficult to ignore the group.
The enthusiasm for an early election within the UNPA is, therefore, bothering regional parties. RJD leader Lalu Prasad , one of the most vocal supporters of the nuclear deal at the last UPA meeting to discuss the deadlock with the Left, would know his rival Nitish Kumar in Bihar will launch an anti-US election campaign to woo the Muslim community.
The DMK which has been in power in the state for just about a year does not fancy an election as well. Tamil Nadu has a reputation for sweeping verdicts that are unkind to the ruling party. During the 2004 general elections, when Ms Jayalalithaa was the chief minister, the state voted DMK and its allies to power in all 39 constituencies in the state. Besides, the alliance led by the DMK is not as strong as it was in 2004 with the PMK and the Communists creating troubles for Karunanidhi.
It is only Mr Shard Pawar of the NCP who is not against mid-term polls at the moment. It is no secret that the Baramati leader has continued to nurture his big political ambitions. Mr Pawar, who is known for out of the box thinking on alliances, may weigh his options before polls. It be recalled that the NCP had come quite close to sealing a pact with the NDA in Maharashtra in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
The other leader who fancies herself at the helm of the government is BSP chief Mayawati. Having come to power two months back, she does not mind another test before anti-incumbency sets in. It is for this reason that the SP might not want polls immediately, however, with Indo-US deal providing the party with an anti-US plank to campaign on, Mr Mulayam Singh might not be too averse to elections. Anti-Bush rallies by Muslim groups in parts of Uttar Pradesh and even Delhi had been a big success when the US president had visited India last year.
The UNPA, consisting of TDP in Andhra Pradesh, SP in Uttar Pradesh, AIADMK-MDMK in Tamil Nadu, AGP in Assam and INLD in Haryana, has gelled as a credible grouping, though Ms Jayalalithaa opted for an independent course in the presidential polls. In states where UNPA has its presence, the Congress or its friends are in power.
The five UNPA states together have 176 seats in Parliament, with Uttar Pradesh having a massive 80 seats. In the 14th Lok Sabha the UNPA has just 44 seats with two of its constituents — AIADMK and INLD — having no seats and TDP just managing four. Even hardcore rivals admit that these parties will make gains in the event of an early poll.
The TDP is expected to come back strongly in Andhra Pradesh (42 seats in Parliament) and AIADMK is pegged to put up a good fight in Tamil Nadu (39 seats). The SP might be down after the recent UP assembly polls, but the results proved that the Muslim vote was with the party. In Haryana (10 seats) and Assam (10 seats) too the INLD and the AGP are expected to gain, being the main opposition parties. If the out-of-power UNPA parties can manage to corner a fair share of seats in their respective states, then it would be difficult to ignore the group.
The enthusiasm for an early election within the UNPA is, therefore, bothering regional parties. RJD leader Lalu Prasad , one of the most vocal supporters of the nuclear deal at the last UPA meeting to discuss the deadlock with the Left, would know his rival Nitish Kumar in Bihar will launch an anti-US election campaign to woo the Muslim community.
The DMK which has been in power in the state for just about a year does not fancy an election as well. Tamil Nadu has a reputation for sweeping verdicts that are unkind to the ruling party. During the 2004 general elections, when Ms Jayalalithaa was the chief minister, the state voted DMK and its allies to power in all 39 constituencies in the state. Besides, the alliance led by the DMK is not as strong as it was in 2004 with the PMK and the Communists creating troubles for Karunanidhi.
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It is only Mr Shard Pawar of the NCP who is not against mid-term polls at the moment. It is no secret that the Baramati leader has continued to nurture his big political ambitions. Mr Pawar, who is known for out of the box thinking on alliances, may weigh his options before polls. It be recalled that the NCP had come quite close to sealing a pact with the NDA in Maharashtra in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
The other leader who fancies herself at the helm of the government is BSP chief Mayawati. Having come to power two months back, she does not mind another test before anti-incumbency sets in. It is for this reason that the SP might not want polls immediately, however, with Indo-US deal providing the party with an anti-US plank to campaign on, Mr Mulayam Singh might not be too averse to elections. Anti-Bush rallies by Muslim groups in parts of Uttar Pradesh and even Delhi had been a big success when the US president had visited India last year.
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