If there are rumblings of the formation of a Third Front, it means that elections are definitely round the corner. It has, by now, become a norm. All political parties begin to examine options in the event of a post-poll alliance. So it is expected that Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has initiated talks of forming a Third Front prior to the 2014 lok Sabha elections. Of course, it is quite a different matter that he is working on this possibility with an eye on the Prime Minister’s chair.
Mulayam, rather critical of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar due to his cosying up to the Congress, sprang a surprise when he changed tack. In a statement, he was all praise for the Bihar Chief Minister. Perhaps, he has an eye on roping in the Janata Dal (United) leader into his conglomeration for a viable alternative to the UPA.
However, Mulayam’s plans of an alternative Government at the Centre are a part of the post-poll scenario. Although the left is sceptical of Mulayam’s designs, the SP chief is relentlessly making efforts to realise his political ambition — that of becoming the Prime Minister. He has already installed son Akhilesh Yadav as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Now, it is up to the partymen to ensure that netaji sits on the Prime Minister’s chair.
In the past, even former Chief Minister Mayawati had hit upon the idea of assuming power at the Centre, thanks to the left party leaders who raised the political ambitions of behenji. Contrary to all political equations, the BSP leader’s elevation to the post of Prime Minister turned out to be a fallacy. Now the SP leaders are keeping their fingers crossed as netaji is busy working on permutations and combinations.
Even as the chorus is growing louder in the BJP ranks regarding Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s candidature as Prime Minister, Mulayam is focusing on his plans of roping in JD (U) since there is opposition within NDA regarding Modi’s candidature. Although the Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) chief Ajit Singh is known for changing parties to bargain for a berth in the Cabinet, the SP can even include the RlD in the event of a post poll alliance.
Political observers believe that talks of a Third Front have only turned out to be a political ritual. The BJP is fully geared up to replace the UPA-II in the 2014 lok Sabha elections and has, therefore, dismissed the possibility of a Third Front. The party has said that the formation of the Third Front is just Mulayam’s imagination in an effort towards realising his goal of being in power at the Centre.
lessons for akhileshIJ
Mulayam doesn’t hesitate in giving advice to his son Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Of course, we all know that Mulayam has pulled up his son in public umpteen number of times. He has even asked him to improve the performance of his Government. However, recently, Mulayam asked the media to highlight Akhilesh Yadav Government’s achievements on the lines of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Mulayam was quick to point out that if Nitish Kumar can do what he did in Bihar, son son Akhilesh can do the same in Uttar Pradesh. Mulayam Singh’s statement that had he been in the Chief Minister’s chair he would have improved the law and order situation in a fortnight.
Of course, political analysts interpreted the message differently. Will Akhilesh follow in his father Mulayam’s oft given tipsIJ let’s wait and watch after all the SP Government has only completed 13 months in the State. The first six months were given as a grace period by Opposition as well as the media to the Akhilesh Yadav Government.
Ticket woes
Everyone in the Samajwadi Party was surprised when the party decided to withdraw the lok Sabha ticket earlier given to its national general secretary Anuradha Choudhary. The question being asked was: “Was it a step to appease RlD chief Ajit SinghIJ” Anuradha was taken in the SP fold when she deserted the RlD.
Insiders in the SP ranks admitted that one of the main reasons for cancellation of Anuradha’s ticket were a string of complaints against her. According to senior SP leaders: “Anu madam had been regularly pulling up senior bureaucrats and humiliating them for some reason or the other.” More importantly the ruling party after conducting a survey in various lok Sabha constituencies learnt that some of the candidates who had been given tickets failed to come up to the winnability criteria, hence there was a change in candidates or in some cases tickets had been cancelled.”
Now that Anuradha’s lok Sabha ticket, there are reports that the SP may give her a ticket to the Rajya Sabha.