Multimillion-Euros bribes, MPs serving jail terms and some in intensive care are among the arsenal of weapons being wielded in a dramatic battle as India's government and its political opponents prepare for tomorrow's crucial confidence vote.
Ahead of a ballot that could trigger an early general election, both sides are feverishly battling to recruit new supporters to their ranks and to prevent presumptive supporters from being stolen by the other side. Indian politicians speak openly of being offered vast bribes for their votes, while others have reportedly been gifted senior government positions for their support.
The political drama that is playing out in the capital of the world's largest democracy relates to a nuclear energy deal the government has been pursuing with the United States. But the issue has been seized on by its opponents as an opportunity to strike at an administration made vulnerable by soaring inflation, and many of the country's smaller parties are using the affair to try to bolster their political capital.
MAYWATI: Serving her third term as the Chief Minister of India's largest state, Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati has emerged as the focus point of the so-called Third Front, distinct from the Congress Party and BJP. A founding member of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Mayawati has built her power on the support of the Dalits, or so-called untouchables, of which she is a member. A shrewd politician, many believe she is a future prime minister.
