Budget on the roll, will Cong go for the polls?

CHECKMATE: Experts on CNN-IBN agree that the Union Budget was a good political move.

          

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Left-UPA flashpoints since May 2004

Here are some of the major issues over which the Left clashed with the Congress.

• Will UPA Govt be better off without Left?

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• Left-UPA flashpoints since May 2004
• Will UPA Govt be better off without Left?

Keywords: Face The Nation, Congress

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has begun meeting Congress MPs and state leaders to assess the mood within the party for possible General Elections in 2008. Sonia is also all set to hold a massive kisan rally in the Capital’s Ramlila Maidan on March 9. The Congress chief will then travel to Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to spell out the party’s achievements.

One view emerging out of the Congress’ scheme of things is that the party should wait for another round of state elections later this year before making the final move – a decision that eventually can only be taken by the one person who counts in the Congress, party, President Sonia Gandhi.

It is clear that the Congress is feeling good about its populist Budget, so good that it wants early elections. However, public memory may not be long enough to let the party cash on it. Moreover, the Congress’ current allies have proved to be troublesome on more than one occasion. Early elections would definitely promise an interesting wait-and-watch situation.

Congress leaders say party cadres are euphoric over Chidambaram's Budget. Later in the year, the economy could begin to weaken and prices could rise, however, right now, the mood in the Congress is upbeat.

But is it the right time for Congress-led UPA to call a General Election? That was the topic of debate on CNN-IBN show Face The Nation. On the panel to debate the issue was Congress MP Rashid Alvi, Rajya Sabha MP & Editor-in-Chief of The Pioneer, Chandan Mitra and CPI-M leader Nilotpal Basu.

Budget to harvest votes?

Will Chidambaram’s populist Budget yield a rich harvest of votes? Congress MP Rashid Alvi said the Budget is being appreciated by every class in the country, but it doesn’t mean that there will be any mid-term poll.

“Elections will be held in due time and I think after one year. Mrs Gandhi met most of the MPs on Monday but she did not talk about the elections at all,” Alvi said.

He added that it is wrong to say that this kind of Budget was because of the General Elections. “The Budget is for the poor people, for the common man and this is in line with our slogan, Congress ka haath aam aadmi ke saath.”

Budget, a political manifesto

“Why did the Congress have to wait for four years before they announced this aam aadmi Budget? Farmers have been under loans and hundreds of farmers have committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha,” Chandan Mitra said.

“It is ranked hypocrisy to say that the Congress has suddenly woken up to this and that this Budget has nothing to do with the elections. Of course, it has everything to do with elections. However, whether it is held this year or early next year, I think that depends more on the Left rather than the Congress itself,” he added.

In fact, Pranab Mukherjee had said in Parliament on Monday that he was seeking a consensus on the Indo-US nuclear deal.