Why
Congress has to get along with SP now
Wednesday March 07, 2012 06:28:38 PM,
Prashant Sood,
IANS
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New Delhi: The
outcome of the Uttar Pradesh elections is likely to push the
Congress into having a better equation with the triumphant Samajwadi Party (SP) in view of the presidential polls later this
year, political analysts say. And that's not the only reason.
The spectacular success of the SP, which clinched 224 seats in the
403-member assembly and supports the Congress-led central
government from outside, has made its position comfortable in the
biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from 10 seats in Uttar
Pradesh scheduled for March 30.
SP's victory substantially increases its leeway in the
presidential polls, expected in June before President Pratibha
Patil's term ends. The Uttar Pradesh assembly has the largest
value of votes among all states, calculated on the basis of
population determined by the 1971 census.
The electoral college for the presidential polls includes MPs and
members of assemblies from 30 states and union territories.
Though the SP supports the Congress-led United Progressive
Alliance government, relations between the two parties have been
strained over the past few months.
But now the Congress will be mindful after bagging a paltry 28
seats in India's most politically crucial state.
The Congress-led government could face increased pressure from the
opposition and some of its allies in the forthcoming budget
session due to its poor showing in Uttar Pradesh and four other
states.
The Congress may also need the SP's support in the election to the
offices of chairman and deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The
Congress is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha.
The term of Vice President Hamid Ansari, chairman of the upper
house, will end in August. That of Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan
ends in April.
Political analyst S. Nihal Singh said the Congress could work with
the SP in the presidential polls.
Nihal Singh told IANS the Congress would have to get together
"with the SP to see if there is a common candidate (for the
presidential polls)".
Political analyst Aswini K. Ray said the Congress will try to
arrive at some coalition arrangement with the SP.
Ray, a former professor of political science department at the
Jawaharlal Nehru University, said a better understanding with the
SP will help the Congress in dealing with assertive allies like
the Trinamool Congress.
"The SP also has national ambitions for which it needs the
Congress... An SP and Congress bonhomie is on the cards," Ray told
IANS.
He said the Congress will like to push some reforms before the
next general elections and support from the SP will be critical.
Nisar-ul-Haq, head of the political science department of Jamia
Millia University, said the forthcoming budget session of
parliament was expected to be stormy.
However, he said there will not be a major shift of equilibrium as
SP supports the UPA government from outside.
"For Mulayam Singh Yadav there is no alternative other than
supporting the Congress," he said.
(Prashant Sood can be contacted at prashant.s@ians.in)
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Union
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Pawan
Kumar Bansal inspecting the damaged gate number 16 at the
Farakka Barrage, Murshidabad district, West Bengal on March
03, 2012. State Minister of Irrigation & Waterways, Micro &
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Dr. Manas Ranjan Bhunia and State Minister of Development &
Planning and Power, Government of West Bengal Manish Gupta are
also seen. |
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