Agencies
New Delhi, May 21:
Mounting inflation and the stalled Indo-US nuclear deal haunt the Congress-led UPA coalition government as it enters the final year in office on Thursday and gears up to face the next elections.
With both friends and foes warning that spiralling prices of essential commodities might sound the "death knell" for the Manmohan Singh government, reining in inflation will be a task for the UPA to accomplish to escape the ire of voters. As the government is caught in the web of coalition politics, the Congress-led UPA has to do a tight rope walking so as not to annoy its Left partners and at the same time keep the voters in good humour by containing inflation.
The Left parties which provide the crucial outside prop to the government are opposed to the Indo-US nuclear deal and the Centre has so far hit a roadblock to get their endorsements. The Left parties have also joined the opposition in slamming the government on the price rise front.
The UPA will come out with the yearly "Report to the People" to present its achievements during its four year tenure. As the government headed by the economist-turned- politician braces for the challenges ahead, Congress is of the view that coalition has never been an option, but a compulsion for the party.
But, RJD feels the grand old party should observe coalition 'dharma', realising that the Government at the Centre was not of Congress, but of UPA. Lalu Prasad's party made these remarks after the government rushed through the Women's Reservation Bill without consulting the allies.
Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, the Congress UPA is cosying up to Samajwadi Party and the bonhomie has been reflected in the invitation by the UPA to the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party for a UPA dinner.
The UPA has organised the dinner at the Prime Minister's residence to mark the completion of the four years of coalition government at the Centre. Interestingly, leaders of BSP, which does not get along well with the SP, have also been invited for the anniversary celebrations. Congress and SP are of late coming closer after the BSP victory in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections last year with Chief Minister Mayawati attacking both on several issues.
SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had recently lashed out at BSP leader Mayawati for being "ungrateful" to the UPA government by criticising it. SP had withdrawn support to the Congress-led coalition at the Centre ahead of the UP polls last year and the Congress did a tit-for-tat in UP by withdrawing its support to the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government.
Both were supporting each other from outside. Incidentally, the first UPA dinner in 2004 at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's residence saw SP leader Amar Singh getting a cold reception. He had gone there along with the then CPM general secretary H S Surjeet. BSP MP Ambeth Rajan said that party MPs have also been invited. Party leaders are, however, not aware whether Mayawati has been invited.
In fact, BSP and Congress which worked in tandem during the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections last year, started falling apart in recent months with Mayawati even threatening to withdraw support to the Manmohan Singh government.
The fourth anniversary coincides with the last phase of polling on Thursday in the crucial assembly elections in Karnataka. The battle of the ballot in Karnataka is being keenly watched by those opposing and supporting the UPA as its outcome is bound to cast a shadow on a series of assembly polls this year as also the Lok Sabha elections.
Congress, leading the coalition, has suffered reverses in recent assembly polls with BJP leading the rival NDA formation coming up triumphant in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. BSP's 'Elephant' is making inroads in Congress territory after Mayawati's spectacular victory in the UP assembly polls.
The Congress is under increasing attack from Mayawati and has a tough task ahead in the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi where BJP is its main opponent and BSP is cutting into its base.
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