PM calls for 100-day milestones,party not keen on SP as ally in new govt

As the party made it clear that allies will not be allowed to armtwist the government,an assertive PM called a meeting of his officials and directed them to prepare a blueprint for quick action in the first 100 days of the new government.

The PMs message,conveyed to officials by Principal Secretary T K A Nair,was clear: Hit the ground running in the second term. Priorities will include a comprehensive 100-day plan for internal security,countering global recession with focus on job creation,infrastructure investment besides expansion of social sector programmes. Many of the elements in the plan,sources said,were already in the pipeline and much of the work had been done. But the PM had made it clear that he did not wish to proceed further as long as the Model Code of Conduct was in place.

With results still coming in,the UPA was projected to win 261 seats,short of the 272 needed for a majority; the BJP-led Opposition alliance would take over 160 seats and a Third Front of Communist,BSP and smaller groups 79 seats. The victory and the Congresss tally mean it will be easier to form a stable coalition with smaller parties be less vulnerable to pressure on issues like economic reforms.

Congress sources indicated they were also not keen to induct the SP into the next government. Nor was the party eager to invite the RJD to join the government,although the issue was still open.

SP general secretary Amar Singh called up Sonia Gandhi to congratulate her but,sources said,there was little response to his request for an appointment. With Rahul Gandhis Congress revival formula doing wonders in UP going it alone rather than as an alliance,the Congress secured 21 of 80 seats in the state the partys top brass appears reluctant to abandon it. Sources,however,said the party could consider if the SP were to offer outside support. The Congress was also doing a rethink on equations with RJDs Lalu Prasad Yadav and LJPs Ram Vilas Paswan whose association with the party is perceived to be a roadblock to its revival plan in Bihar. When it comes to alliances with the SP or RJD,our decision will be guided by the fact that we need to revive the party in both UP and Bihar, a senior Congress leader told The Indian Express.

A section of the Congress is,however,wary of any action that may unite the Yadav triumvirate (Lalu-Mulayam-Sharad) who could join forces with the Left in the Lok Sabha. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is meeting tomorrow where these issues are likely to figure. The Congress was said to be reluctant to invite Lalu and Paswan to the UPA meeting,likely early next week,as it wanted to sit down with only pre-poll allies.

CWC member Anil Shastri was learnt to have called on Sonia Gandhi,urging her not to have any alliance with the SP. Shastri was said to have even submitted a note to her on why the party should have no truck with the SP. The Congress Parliamentary Party is likely to meet on Monday.

As per initial calculations,the party was confident of the UPA and friends crossing the 272 mark but it wants to approach the President with letters of support from 290-300 MPs.

There were also indications that Rahul Gandhi could join the government. Sonia Gandhi told reporters that this call would be taken by the Prime Minister who,in turn,said: I have tried in the past that Rahul Gandhi should be a member of the Cabinet. It is still my wish that he should be in the Cabinet. We have to persuade him to do so.

Speaking to reporters in Sultanpur later,Rahul evaded queries on joining the government,saying he wanted the youth to participate in politics with ease,that he wanted to organise the Youth Congress. Many of Rahuls young lieutenants,including Meenakshi Natarajan,Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and Ashok Tanwar,who made their electoral debut this time,pulled off stunning wins.

The real surprise came from Uttar Pradesh. Despite starting with a small vote-share (about 9% in the last Assembly elections) and little organisational muscle,the Congress fired the imagination of the UP voter and managed to hold its own against the likes of SP and BSP. The return of the minorities,the upper-caste in good measure and a slice of Dalits appear to have made this possible. The last time that the Congress dominated here was in 1984,that too on an emotional ground,after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. However,the next election saw its umbrella coalition of Dalits,Muslims and the upper castes splinter off into different parties.

But five years after the UPA took oath,the Congresss decision to shake off the baggage of fighting as a junior partner an idea pushed by Rahul Gandhi helped the party cash in on not only nostalgia for a Congress era but also the non-performance of other regional parties.

Maharashtra with 48 seats too returned a Congress-NCP alliance despite farmer suicides and terror attacks in the state. The Southern thrill for the Congress came in the form of a robust performance by it in Andhra Pradesh where it improved upon its dream tally in 2004. And in Tamil Nadu,where the Congress-DMK alliance staved off a formidable AIADMK alliance riding on the basis of schemes,governance and better handling of the rage over the Lankan Tamil issue.