World | India
Regional party to help ruling alliance survival
The Congress party and the Samajwadi Party have come to a crucial understanding that may help the tottering federal government overcome the present crisis.
- By Ajay Jha, Chief Correspondent
- Published: 23:37 June 30, 2008
New Delhi: The Congress party and the Samajwadi Party have come to a crucial understanding that may help the tottering federal government overcome the present crisis.
The Samajwadi Party has promised to stand behind the ruling coalition in the event of the Left Front withdrawing its outside support to the government.
This ensures that the Congress party-led coalition will go ahead with the contentious Indo-US nuclear deal without sacrificing its government
At the same time, the Congress-Samajwadi Party understanding may put to rest speculations about early polls, frustrating the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party that has already gone into poll mode in anticipation of early generation elections.
The Samajwadi Party will, however, wait until Thursday before making a formal announcement in this regard since it is scheduled to hold a meeting with its partners in the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) on July 3.
Prior to that, a senior minister will formally brief Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and party general secretary Amar Singh on intricacies of the nuclear deal tomorrow, so that they can brief other UNPA constituents about the benefits of the nuclear deal.
Indications available suggest that the Samajwadi Party may still go ahead and support the government even if other UNPA constituents reject the offer. This may split the UNPA, being touted as the third front, vertically since chances of the Telugu Desam Party, Asom Gana Parishad and the Indian National Lok Dal joining hands with the Congress party are remote as the Congress party is their main rival in their respective states.
Interestingly, barely a year ago, the Congress party and the Samajwadi Party were pronounced political enemies. However, the changed political scenario has brought them closer than ever before.
Yadav, who is currently camping in the national capital, is not hiding his inclination to help the ruling alliance through.
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