Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: With Mamata Banerjee pulling out of the UPA, the arch lights are firmly on UP heavyweights Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati.
The harsh criticism by Mamata means she is resolute in her decision to abandon the UPA, with a window being kept open till Friday even as she knows very well that the Congress is no mood to oblige her this time around.
Enter Mulayam, the Etawah strongman who has his eyes set on the PM’s chair. He has bailed out the Congress on several occasions in the recent past but will he play along this time as well would be primarily dependent on his assessment on whether the time is ripe for fresh Lok Sabha polls.
He has everything going for him at the moment. Having won the UP assembly polls with a thumping majority, the Samajwadi Party would be hoping to corner the majority of the 80 Lok Sabha seats from the state.
But the seasoned politicians would go for the kill only if he is sure that the UPA government will fall. He can’t to be on the wrong side of the Congress and still see the UPA government survive.
Importantly, the SP had recently made attempts to patch up with the Mamata after having left her high and dry on the issue of Presidential elections. But given the past experience, Mamata would be extra cautious this time around.
However, senior SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said today that their view is different from that of the Trinamool Congress.
Mayawati on the other hand would also want her pound of flesh for supporting the UPA even as it is clear that she is not comfortable with the idea of early polls.
Having received a drubbing in the assembly polls, Mayawati would ideally like to go for polls after some water has flown down the Ganges.
But the current political equation undoubtedly gives her a great opportunity to hedge her support to the UPA for some worthwhile gains in Uttar Pradesh.
First Published: Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 10:18