Maya's support priced at Rs 70K cr

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New Delhi: The two most powerful women in India - Mayawati and Congress President Sonia Gandhi - met to try and agree on a favourite for the Rashtrapati Bhavan over a power-packed dinner at Mayawati's house in Delhi.

That their dialogue lasted two hours meant that the friendship between Congress and BSP has begun taking roots. Mayawati was frank about her support for the UPA presidential nominee

She said that there was no difference of opinion between her party, BSP, and the UPA.

Though Mayawati has openly indicated support for the UPA candidate in the upcoming Presidential elections, there is a catch.

It's all about give and take is what the BSP supremeo seems to be suggesting.

Despite being let off in the Taj Corridor case by the Central Government just a few days ago, Mayawati wants a little bit more to assure her support to the UPA in the upcoming presidential elections.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister is looking for ample compensation in return for this support.

Sources have told CNN-IBN that Mayawati is looking for a massive allocation of funds from the Centre for Uttar Pradesh worth nearly Rs 70,000 crore.

She is likely to meet the Prime Minister and the Planning Commission chief, Montek Singh Ahluwalia in this context.

This will assure the BSP's 58,000 votes in the UPA's kitty for the presidential elections.

With Mayawati taken care of, UPA sources say that they will firm up their mind on the acceptable Presidential nominee over the next two days.

However, the Prime Minister's plea that let there be a consensus for the UPA-Left candidate is likely to fall on deaf ears.

Says BJP spokesperson, Ravi Shankar Prasad, "If it's out-and-out a political candidate and one who is a part of the Government, then it's difficult to have a consensus."

The BJP may have its reservations but the UPA Government is almost certain that the Left parties will eventually come around on Shivraj Patil's candidature.