Mayawati set to end spat with centre

MAYA'S MOVE: UP Chief Minister Mayawati met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday.

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Keywords: Poll, Presidential

New Delhi: UP Chief Minister Mayawati has spelt out the relationship between her government and Centre after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh - that is one of cooperation rather than the confrontationist between Mulayam and UPA Government.

While this indicates Mayawati's support for the UPA Presidential candidate – it’s the Congress, which needs to make up its mind. For now the choice seems to be between Home Minister Shivraj Patil and former Uttarakhand chief minister ND Tiwari.

Both Mayawati and the Prime Minister have a reason to smile over lunch. The future relationship between Mayawati and the Centre was back on track and it’s going to be cooperation all the way.

Mayawati says, “My meeting with the Centre will end the spat between the Centre and the UP government.”

For Mayawati, it means relief for her CBI investigation into the Taj corridor case and Centre's cooperation in helping her deal with her opponents. For the UPA it’s a big relief. Mayawati hinted at support for a Congress Presidential candidate.

There are smiling faces in the Congress but dilemma for the Congress who will be their choice.

For now there are more new names - Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Congress veteran N D Tiwari.

Shivraj Patil fits the bill a low key, staunch Gandhi loyalist. He is expected to bend to suit the Congress strategies and N D Tiwari is likely to get Mayawati's support being a Brahmin and also the Congress's UP face.

Not that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde are out of the race.

For the Congress it’s a tough decision to make shifting Pranab Mukherjee to Rashtrapati Bhawan means losing a man who is key politician who acts as a trouble shooter for the UPA.

As for Shinde despite his Dalit credentials and unquestioned loyalty to 10 Janpath Mayawati’s support for him is in doubt. After all the Dalit ki beti would prefer to be the lone champion of Dalits especially since she has admitted that after UP, her target is Centre.