Plan for UP: Bring Mulayam down, hold on to flock

After withdrawing support to Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, Congress is gathering all its force to pull down his government during the trial of strength in the Assembly next week.

After withdrawing support to Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, Congress is gathering all its force to pull down his government during the trial of strength in the Assembly next week. A Congress source said RLD leader Ajit Singh met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi this week and discussed the situation in detail.

Congress and the RLD, which together have 30 MLAs, have already withdrawn support to Mulayam reducing his majority. Congress strategists said they need about 12 more MLAs to cross over from the Mulayam camp, while making sure that their own flock are not poached by Mulayam. AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, UPCC chief Salman Khursheed, Union Minister Akhilesh Das and Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla are overseeing Operation UP for the Congress.

8220;It8217;s a free for all8221; with Mulayam pulling out all stops to enhance his strength in the Assembly and Congress trying to undermine him, said the source. With the Assembly in its fag end, no MLA is bothered about the anti-defection law or disqualification and is virtually taking both sides. Mulayam is trying to engineer a split in the BSP, BJP and RLD, whereas the Congress is trying to gather as many independents as possible and poach on the SP.

Even the 37 MLAs, whose fate is to be decided by the SC in a disqualification petition, are susceptible to poaching. Though the BSP is not a direct a player, Mayawati is reportedly offering Assembly seats to several sitting SP MLAs in return for dumping Mulayam during the vote.

8220;Our withdrawal of support does not reduce the government to a minority. We cannot predict what will happen tomorrow,8221; Gehlot said. Congress8217; eagerness to see the back of Mulayam is apparently because of his reputation of being able to use his position to swing electoral fortunes.

Three scenarios

1. Mulayam government falls on the floor of the House. Best-case scenario for the Congress

2. Mulayam wins vote of confidence and recommends dissolution of the House. The UP Governor will have to use his discretion in allowing Mulayam to continue as caretaker CM

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3. Mulayam wins the vote and decides to continue as CM. The Congress will have to choose between letting him be or brazenly dismiss his government