Continued from:
INDIAN POLITY AND THE VALUELESS POLITICOS - THE POLITICAL
JAMBOREE CALLED INDIA
(II)
MULAYAM GETS MULAYAM (SOFT) ONLY TO THROW YET ANOTHER SALVO –
NEED TO READ IN-BETWEEN THE LINES
On September 21, Mulayam Singh Yadav, on the expected line, announced
his continued support to the UPA-2 government shielding him behind the ‘secular
politics’ veil. Though, the populist sentiment compelled him to attach a rider
that he would continue with his opposition of the retail FDI.
He might have got the UP package deal. He might have been
threatened of the CBI hunter as Mayawati was ready to extend support.
Anyway, he has got some deal, positive or negative. The way, he
spoke on September 22 of bringing a Parliamentary Resolution to oppose the retail
FDI, tells us more of a CBI hunter threat, that what might have been his
compulsion behind continuing his UPA support. Also, Manmohan’s insistence on ‘reforms’
and UPA’s need to fill its treasury for a populist pre-election budget rules
out Akhilesh Yadav’s demands of over $20 Billion relief package.
But, then committing to a move that is politically so unpopular that
it can be classified as a communal pariah, is like giving your submission to
someone who as an axe to grind. And so, the announcement of the Parliamentary
Resolution might be nothing but yet another cacophony, telling his voter that
he is opposed to the retail FDI in-principle but cannot let his Muslim voters
down by allowing the BJP to exploit the situation in case the Congress party
led government falls.
Also, there can’t be read much into his meeting with the SAD
leader and Punjab Deputy CM, Sukhbir Singh Badal. It was projected that he was
rooting for common ground among old friends (extending his yet another
statement that Third Front would be a post-election arrangement), keeping the
2014 elections in mind. Anyway, Mulayam’s party is not going to perform well to
the extent that he could become the next prime-ministerial candidate.
It’s a bi-edged sword for Mulayam this time – he cannot bring
down the UPA government for the reasons we saw in the previous lines – at the
same time, he cannot be seen supporting the recent FDI policy move, diesel
price hike and LPG subsidy cap of the UPA government.
In all this, whatever deal that Mamata has got, she has been
let-off lightly. The vote of sympathy, of being humiliated by the Congress, of
being pro-people, would be her added planks in the next election.
But this episode, at least, clears one doubt – of the conspiracy
theories doing rounds around the Mulayam-Mamata duo during the presidential
polls. Now it is clear that it was Mulayam who had turned away leaving Mamata to
bite the bullet after announcing together their opposition to Sonia’s choice of
the presidential candidate.
But are their chances that it might make yet another U-turn of
Mulayam Singh Yadav. Yes, very well.
Even if Mulayam does bring the Resolution, he would do so only
if he sees a chance that it goes to the extent of voting and the UPA government
is going to be defeated.
Till then, it’s about empty words of high crescendo of the Opposition,
of the Opposition within the government and of the government. Heard more empty
cannons on Manmohan Singh in last two days?
It’s not about reforms.
It’s not about retail FDI.
It’s not about fuel subsidies.
Every economic move and policy is as good as the priorities attached
in its implementation.
To continue..