Cong-SP look for mutual benefits, set for alliance

SHIFTING STANDS: There are indications that Congress' former adversary, Mulayam Singh is drifting towards UPA.

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Keywords: Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh Yadav

New Delhi: In what is rapidly developing as one of the biggest political crisis for the Congress-led UPA Government, there has been no breakthrough in the negotiations over the Indo-US Nuclear deal.

The Left parties have rejected last ditch attempts by the UPA to allow the deal to go through and a break up seems inveitable.

Preparing for it's separation plan wiuth the Left, the Congress-led UPA Government is now on the lookout for new allies. And there are enough indications that the Congress' former adversary, Mulayam Singh Yadav is slowly drifting towards the UPA.

He is a product of the famous JP Movement against the imposition of Emergency. Thirty years after the Emergency, Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav was seen sharing a platform with others who had struggled against Emergency. He shared his experiences with the crowd, but conspicuously missing in his speech were the names of then prime minister, Indira Gandhi and the Congress party.

Unlike the other United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) partners - like the Telegu Desam Party and the Asom Gana Parishad - the Samajwadi Party has not committed itself to the nuclear deal. Mulayam Singh is keeping his cards close to his chest and thereby keeping the Government on tenterhooks.

"The final draft is not yet ready. Let the Congress complete the draft. The UNPA will meet on July 3 to take a final decision on whether the we will be supporting the nuclear deal or not. Whatever decision will be taken, it will be taken keeping UNPA in mind not just Samajwadi Party," Mulayam Singh said.

Cornered by Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh needs allies to take on the BSP in UP in the next general elections and for him, Congress, with Ajit Singh's RLD, could form a formidable combination againt Mayawati.

In return, the Congress could get support fromn the 39 SP Lok Sabha MPs to save the Government and the nuclear deal. The Samajwadi Party's 39 MPs could bail the Government out in Parliament in case the Left withdraws support.

UPA leader, Ram Vilas Paswan says that they would like to keep the Samajwadi as an option because in his words: "We don't want to lose wickets, but at the same time we want to score runs."

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party General Secretary, Amar Singh, is returning from his trip to the US on Sunday. Next week, after the UNPA meet, Mulayam Singh is likely to announce his decision on the issue, perhaps, just before the Prime Minister's departure for the proposed G8 summit.