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PAC report: Rivals SP, BSP come to Congress aid

MM Joshi
2G scam: MM Joshi walks out of PAC meeting.
NEW DELHI: When Mayawati confidant S C Mishra escorted party MP Baliram to the doorstep of the PAC meeting on Thursday morning, it was clear that the understanding had been struck at the top. The seasoned Samajwadi Reoti Raman Singh too took a stand in sync with Congress.

The Uttar Pradesh outfits tilted the scales in the committee in favour of the government, in another instance of their bailing out UPA-2 in difficulty. Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav's "help on demand" stance towards Congress has baffled observers given its stark contrast to the cut-throat competition between them in state politics.

Congress has rebuffed SP's hand for partnership against Mayawati and held out against taking it in government, while Rahul Gandhi only a day back embarrassed the BSP regime by filing an RTI seeking details of expenditure on the health sector to focus on the murder of two CMOs.

While the strange relationship has spawned many theories, the commonality of the voluble duo from the heartland facing CBI inquiries is seen as the reason for their playing footsie with the enemy.

SP and BSP, both supporting UPA-2 from outside, have long reasoned their partnership with Congress on "secular" politics. Reoti Raman Singh, despite the obvious help to Congress in PAC, stressed that his action was independent, telling TOI, "I don't approve of what the chairman did and what the Congress members did in the committee. I gave a separate letter to chairman M M Joshi with my own reasons against the rushing of the report."

Critics, however, claim otherwise. They said BSP and SP chiefs require help from the Centre to emerge from the corruption-related probes, citing the flip flop by prosecutors to buttress their claim. "It defies logic that Mulayam and Mayawati, who are so mutually hostile that they take opposite stands on every issue, should converge with such ease when Congress asks," a leader said.

The 2010 cut motions on budget by Left and BJP had UPA number-crunching amid optimism in the Opposition. SP and BSP threw their lot with the government, though with the minor divergence of one voting in its support and another walking out to reduce the Opposition strength. A furious Left bloc attacked Mulayam for his help to the government. BSP and SP stayed clear of the Opposition demand for JPC on 2G scam which killed the winter session of Parliament, in what was the main reason why UPA held out against the BJP-Left combo for so long.

Congress has ensured that it keeps its central politics separate from its state gambit. Clearly, Congress realizes that SP and BSP are backing the Centre without expectations of a return gift.

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