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August 9, 1999
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CONGRESS: ALLIES
Friends, Fellow Travellers...Who is teaming up with the Congress, why and for what...
J. JAYALALITHA, AIADMK
As the main architect of the Vajpayee government's collapse, it was inevitable that
Jayalalitha would resurrect her traditional alliance with the Congress. She swallowed her
carping remarks on Sonia's nationality and allowed herself to be guided by expediency.
However, in accommodating a demoralised Congress unit in Tamil Nadu with 12 seats, she
completely reversed the seat-sharing equation settled by M.G. Ramachandran and Indira
Gandhi. With the AIADMK targeting the bulk of seats, Jayalalitha plans to use her MPs to
once again bargain her way into any future Congress-led government. For Jayalalitha, power
at the Centre is a must to counter the DMK Government's relentless pursuit of
anti-corruption cases against her. When the going is good, she is a model ally; when
troubles start in Tamil Nadu, she can be horrible.
LALOO PRASAD YADAV,
RJD
For the de facto Bihar chief minister, teaming up with the Congress was his way of saying
thank you to Sonia for preventing the imposition of President's rule in Bihar. With the
anti-RJD forces ganging up against him, Laloo needs all the help he can muster,
particularly in south Bihar where the Jharkhand parties have turned against him. For the
moment, Laloo has put his alliance with Mulayam Singh Yadav in cold storage, believing
that the Congress and the Left hold the key to better dividends in Bihar. For Sonia, Laloo
is a powerful counter to the aggressive campaign which Mulayam and Sharad Pawar are
certain to launch. He will be an important Congress passport to the minorities in the
entire Hindi heartland. In the event of the Congress forming a government at the Centre,
Laloo will demand his pound of ministerial flesh and a discreet helping hand to tide over
the never-ending fodder scam.
H.S. SURJEET, CPI(M)
The CPI(M) tries to get the best of both worlds. It is fighting the Congress in West
Bengal and Kerala while entering into an alliance with it in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh. Surjeet has risked Left unity and broken off links with Mulayam for the sake of
catching a bigger fish. He will be the Congress' most faithful outside ally.
A.B. BARDHAN, CPI
For the CPI struggling to preserve its national status, it is a case of history repeating
itself after 22 years. Formally more anti-Congress than the CPI(M), it justifies its
alliance with the Congress on the ground that the BJP is the bigger enemy. An agonised
ally of Sonia.
...AND POSSIBILITIES
KANSHI RAM, BSP
The BSP has announced it will contest all 85 Uttar Pradesh seats but till nominations are
filed, this cannot be treated as the last word on the subject. Kanshi Ram wants a hung Lok
Sabha and will calculate whether this objective will be met by going it alone or teaming
with the Congress. If the BJP is seen to be running away with the next government, the BSP
may enter into a last-minute strategic partnership with Sonia in Uttar Pradesh.
FAMOUS SONS
PRAKASH AMBEDKAR, RPI
A V.P. Singh discovery, he once wooed the BJP, hobnobbed with Sharad Pawar and finally
settled for Sonia to prove that all Republican factions weren't with the NCP. Has a
dynastic appeal in Dalit politics.
AJIT SINGH, LOK DAL
A pathological party-hopper, he hopes to revive his fortunes in western Uttar
Pradesh and at the very least regain his Baghpat seat. The Congress hopes to buy into his
local appeal among Jats and Muslims. |
