The non-BJP opposition, a split force now, might as well stand united after the Lok Sabha poll results are out. Proof comes also from the gesture of BSP chief and former chief minister Mayawati on Monday to announce the formidable BSP-SP alliance’s support to the Congress in the key battleground constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli – where Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are contesting.
Juxtapose this with a statement from Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday that her party would back the SP-BJP alliance in constituencies in UP where the Congress does not have a winning chance. Even amid a tough fight, the two sides are clearly giving top priority to defeating the principal enemy, the BJP. This could be interpreted as a pointer to the post-poll ministry formation exercise in the national capital- Delhi.
The general impression is that it will be a tough task for PM Modi to manufacture a majority after the Lok Sabha polls. The Modi Magic is no longer visible, though there palpably is no anti-incumbency mood, either. The results could throw up a hung parliament, and chances are that a combination of political entities would come together to form government if Modi and the BJP are found wanting in the numbers game. In such a scenario, a possibility of some political parties breaking ranks – from the alliances they are now part of – and siding with a rival group cannot be ruled out. Uncertainties are there for all to see at this juncture.
Mayawati, on her part, has also threatened to teach the Congress a lesson in Madhya Pradesh where her party is keeping aloft the Kamal Nath-led Congress ministry in a scenario wherein the tricolour party does not have a majority on its own. Yet, it could be that Mayawati is keeping her fingers crossed.
In any post-poll scenario, the BJP would not help her meet the proclaimed ambition on her part to become the Prime Minister. There is an air of hope on the other side. If the Congress does not get a large number of seats, it would be open to being part of a wider alliance of opposition parties; not just of the UPA. In the event, the scope for bargaining exists for the likes of Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee. This is not to ignore similar ambitions of several other regional satraps who are waiting in the wings.
Under the circumstances, putting a few coins in the Congress basket at this juncture suits Mayawati as also her alliance partners Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh.