When Ramdev was desperately looking for an honourable exit from his fast after three days of grandstanding and silence from the government,the first number he dialled was that of Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. This was followed by a call to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu. On Saturday evening,BJDs Rabi Mahapatra was the first MP to appear on the Ramlila Maidan stage,followed by two TDP MPs C M Ramesh and K Narayana. Ramdev also called West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but she did not oblige. On Sunday evening,when it became clear that the government would not make a move,Ramdev called up BJP president Nitin Gadkari,with whom he had had a very good meeting in June. Gadkari agreed to make an appearance though he needed an assurance on the anti-Congress stance of the protest. Ramdevs claim later that BJP was the last to support the movement was based on the technicality that Gadkari indeed was the last leader to come on stage,his aides said. By late Sunday,JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav too agreed to share the dais. Ramdev also called CPIs A B Bardhan,Shiv Senas Manohar Joshi,NCP chief Sharad Pawar and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav apart from SAD and BSP leaders. Bardhan and Joshi did not oblige in person but sent their good wishes next day. Thus happened the mega political line-up on the stage on Monday,hours before the march to Parliament ended in detention at Ambedkar Stadium. And when he finally called off his fast on Tuesday,he claimed his movement was a success as it had united all parties except Congress in the fight against corruption. Ramdevs face-saver of lining up political parties was planned after he and his team spent the greater part of Sunday under the impression that a meeting was scheduled at the PMs residence that afternoon to frame a response to the yoga teachers fast. It was minutes before the appointed time that they realised they had been misguided. When one of his aides called up a minister and asked him by way of conversation whether he was going for the meeting,the minister responded: There is no meeting at 7 RCR. A few more calls and it was confirmed that the honourable exit Ramdev was looking for from the government would not happen and he had just about 18 hours to finalise a face-saving strategy. I talked to everybody who matters in the government but unfortunately,they could not firm up a response, said Ramdevs adviser journalist Vedpratap Vaidik.
