Well the die is cast atleast for a parting of ways between the UPA and the Left. Whether this happens in a timeframe that makes Manmohan Singh’s claims of clinching a succesful deal, credible remains to be seen. Right now the Congress is operating in a make believe world that the deal is still on, the west still views India with credibility and that the Party and more importantly its President have always been solidly with Manmohan Singh.
That self-delusion may serve the Prime Minister in showing up at the G-8 summit in Japan with a straight face. That self delusion may also help the Congress spin-meisters in making this farce about national interest.
But if there is one player in this drama who will resort to anything but self-delusion it is the Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Mulayam will not be self-delusional about the Congress making a real difference to his party’s prospects in Uttar Pradesh as the BSP’s Mayawati works overtime to get him.
So if the harsh reality of Uttar Pradesh cannot be the primary reason for Mulayam Singh bailing out the UPA in Parliament to extend its life support for a few more months, then what could be that primary reason ?
Look at what all Mulayam could be prepared to do if he decides to bail out Manmohan Singh.
He will essentially bury the still-born UNPA exactly a year after its conception.
He will burn his bridges with the Communists who have been his bed-fellows at least in the shoer term
RE:What will be Mulayam%u2019s pound of flesh ?
by birju on Jul 01, 2008 09:55 PM Permalink
important thing Mulayam will stake is his image as the Patron Saint for all the skull cap sporting rage boys of Uttar Pradesh who never tire from raking up Pan-Islamic issues to mobilize Muslim street protests. In fact it was this same Patron Saint image that saw the CPI-Mafioso leadership from Karat to Yechury line up alongside Mulayam in Uttar Pradesh to oppose India’s vote against Iran in the IAEA on the Nuclear issue as well as to protest George W Bush visit to India.
So if the Patron Saint of Pan-Islamism in Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh is willing to stake his halo to bail out Sonia Gandhi, it is germane to ask what pound of flesh is his Fixer and Broker-in Chief Amar Singh is demanding from his Congress negotiators ? i welcome’s all to opine on this open question !
