Maya tape binds Opp together, unwinds coalition

But the real ammunition to the Opposition battle is being provided by reports that despite the BJP leadership’s directive to stick to the Mayawati-led alliance at all costs, there is an increasing restiveness in the party ranks against her leadership. It is no secret that many BJP MLAs have become hyper-critical since Mayawati arrested fellow-Rajput Raja Bhaiyya under POTA.

The video tape has only accentuated the anti-Mayawati feelings in this section which feels that the longer the alliance continues, the greater will be the erosion of the BJP’s base in UP.

Both SP and Congress leaders insist the events in the UP Assembly on Wednesday night when the no-confidence motion, the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address and the Budget were ‘‘passed’’ without allowing any discussion or voting were a clear indication that Mayawati was afraid that she just might lose if a voting took place.

CLP leader Pramod Tiwari and Congress MLA, Louise Khurshid, for instance, made much of the fact that their demand for a lobby division was not allowed. ‘‘If the government was confident of winning the vote, what was the point of avoiding a lobby division?’’ asked Khurshid, adding that ‘‘there was an entire section in the treasury benches which had dissidence written all over their faces.’’

This section was ‘‘growing’’, and it is the fear that many of them would vote along with the Opposition that led Maya to disallow voting, she said.

That could be wishful thinking on the Opposition’s part but what is clear is that in the days to come, there will be a great deal of activity by the Opposition to put Maya on the mat. Already, the Opposition in the state has lodged protests with the Speaker and the Governor and are discussing a proposal to move court on the ‘‘failure of constitutional machinery’’ in the state. In Parliament today, with top Opposition leaders holding a meeting ‘‘at short notice’’ at the initiative of Somnath Chatterjee to pursue the issue in Lok Sabha.

However, even as the Opposition seeks to present a picture of unity inside the legislature, differences continue to plague it on the ground. Powerful sections in the Congress feel that their dwindling numbers (only 16 MLAs) notwithstanding, the party stands to gain following the erosion in the upper caste support base of the BJP. This section is wary of any long-term association with the SP, more so because it feels that the SP will be at the receiving end of corruption charges once Maya unleashes her counter-campaign in full force.