Parties wait for Cong (swadeshi) to evolve

Informed sources say that Pawar has meticulously worked to re-group the Third Front after Sonia’s aborted bid to become the Prime Minister in April last. Former prime minister Chandra Shekhar has lent a helping hand to Pawar and also met P V Narasimha Rao on Monday urging him to come out of the shell.Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav too is willing to join hands with Pawar.

AIADMK leader Jayalalitha has an excellent rapport with Pawar for long and is also willing to join hands with him if G K Moopanar moves to the Congress. She too has been uncomfortable withSonia’s foreigner tag.

Since Tariq Anwar had joined hands with Pawar and some of the Bihar Congress leaders are equally keen to do business with the former leader of the Opposition, Laloo Prasad Yadav can keep his options open. He has not deserted his friend Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Loktantrik Morcha.

Sources close to Laloo in Delhi say that he has kept his options open to a tie up with the Congress (Swadeshi) and Congress (Videshi), depending upon their respective utility in the political arena in September.

The Tohra faction of the Akali Dal in Punjab may opt for Pawar while Bansi Lal of the Haryana Vikas Party may join hands with Pawar if he (Lal) is deserted by the BJP.

The feather in Pawar’s cap was the support of former speaker P A Sangma. If Pawar can influence the outcome of 48 seats in Maharashtra, Sangma can do the same in at least a dozen seats in North-East. Once considered close to Sonia, his initiative in signing the controversial letter has nonplussed many.

Congressmen of all shadeswho have been issuing statements condemning Pawar are likely to come out in the open when the time is right.

Sonia got the wind of Pawar’s game-plan, that is, the four-page letter, and decided to catch the bull by the horn at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Saturday last. It was she who suddenly pointed out to the BJP’s campaign against her which was lapped up by R K Dhawan who said that a resolution be passed.

Sources say that Sonia specifically asked Sangma if he had anything to say on the issue indicating that she was aware of the plan. Sangma admitted that he differed and rest is history.

Jubilant as they may be about the developments, BJP leaders still have to be on the guard in some of the States, particularly West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

It is learnt that it was Sangma who was working time on Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Bannerjee, who has always had a problem with Sonia’s foreign origin. Though Mamata cannot support the BJP because of the minority votes in West Bengal,an alliance with Pawar is acceptable. Priya Ranjan Das Munshi may have pledged loyalty to Sonia, but he is an ardent supporter of Pawar.

Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh also sees a potential to retain his chair by joining hands with Pawar. The Janata Dal is too happy with the development as Sharad Yadav, I K Gujral and H D Deve Gowda would get an opportunity to brighten the prospects of the Third Front again.