THE Mayawati's going to demand her pound of flesh. As expected she has not withdrawn her “outside” support to the UPA government, but she has ensured that from now on, Congress strategists and floor managers will have to constantly negotiate her support on every issue.
The UPA has hold the nerves of Mulayam Singhs, Lalu Yadavs and Mayawatis & Co. Come what may, none of them is going to withdraw from UPA, until they see that UPA ship is almost to sink and now it's better to save yourself. Just to save their face before their supporters they are in mood of ifs and buts. It is clear the day anyone of this company break its tie, UPA is ready to nail their coffins. Before leaving, UPA will screw them in such a way that none of the coming party to rule will be helpless. None of them become Mamata Banerjee.
“We have debated a lot yesterday and the national executive has decided not to take a final decision in the matter and left the decision to me. I have decided to give it serious thought only after considering all the factors in this case. After I am done thinking and evaluating I will let you all know”, she said in a rather cheerful mood.
BSP has 21 MPs and Samajwadi Party 22 — which is roughly the distance between the current UPA strength of 250-and-odd and the magic midway mark of 272 MPs.
Mayawati knows she holds the high cards and her next line sounded like a clear threat: “But I will take that decision (on whether to withdraw support) very soon. You can expect to know shortly.”
Mayawati sees herself holding the “balance of power” in government formation after the next general elections. She said as much to keep her cadre enthused and motivated to work harder for poll preparation.
If yesterday she had made an indirect attack on Sonia Gandhi by talking about leaders who read out their speeches, today she blasted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for pursuing “anti-people” policies. The rising prices of essential commodities and corruption were in focus.
The huge mass of BSP workers have been asked to fight against the “anti-poor policies of the UPA government”. The purpose, in her own words, is to prepare the party on a “war-footing” for an early parliamentary elections.
The UPA has hold the nerves of Mulayam Singhs, Lalu Yadavs and Mayawatis & Co. Come what may, none of them is going to withdraw from UPA, until they see that UPA ship is almost to sink and now it's better to save yourself. Just to save their face before their supporters they are in mood of ifs and buts. It is clear the day anyone of this company break its tie, UPA is ready to nail their coffins. Before leaving, UPA will screw them in such a way that none of the coming party to rule will be helpless. None of them become Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking after a party meeting in her own grand style and in a performance laced with several meaningful pauses, Mayawati sought to convey a simple message to the Congress leadership: your longevity depends on me. I can pull the plug whenever I want.
It could be purely coincidental but her suspenseful posturing came a day after the Supreme Court, in a ruling, clarified that the CBI could move afresh on Mayawati’s disproportionate assets case. The possibility of the CBI once again snooping around her accounts and assets could make life difficult for her, both politically and legally.“We have debated a lot yesterday and the national executive has decided not to take a final decision in the matter and left the decision to me. I have decided to give it serious thought only after considering all the factors in this case. After I am done thinking and evaluating I will let you all know”, she said in a rather cheerful mood.
Mayawati saving her political career
So far so good. It’s no secret that no one else, or nothing else, matters in her party but her. But the fact that she got the decision authorised by a party forum is intended to keep the whiff of “democratic principles” alive, at least for the record. But in shifting the final decision to her personally, Mayawati has made it clear that the Congress has to kowtow to her. After the exit of Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati’s hands have been strengthened as she knows only she and Mulayam Singh stand between survival and collapse for the UPA.BSP has 21 MPs and Samajwadi Party 22 — which is roughly the distance between the current UPA strength of 250-and-odd and the magic midway mark of 272 MPs.
Mayawati knows she holds the high cards and her next line sounded like a clear threat: “But I will take that decision (on whether to withdraw support) very soon. You can expect to know shortly.”
Mayawati sees herself holding the “balance of power” in government formation after the next general elections. She said as much to keep her cadre enthused and motivated to work harder for poll preparation.
If yesterday she had made an indirect attack on Sonia Gandhi by talking about leaders who read out their speeches, today she blasted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for pursuing “anti-people” policies. The rising prices of essential commodities and corruption were in focus.
The huge mass of BSP workers have been asked to fight against the “anti-poor policies of the UPA government”. The purpose, in her own words, is to prepare the party on a “war-footing” for an early parliamentary elections.
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