New Delhi, Sep 20: Uncertainty seems to be building on the stability of the Congress-led UPA government with intense pressure growing not only for the rollback of FDI in retail sector and increase in prices of diesel and cut in LPG subsidy but also stressing on the Prime Minister to seek a fresh mandate.
Most of the political parties including some UPA allies and supporting outfits on Thursday made a common cause with the BJP-led opposition by participating in the Bharat bandh on Thursday. The bandh evoked partial response in most of the major cities including Delhi.
However, participation of parties such as Samajwadi Party had its share of drama which offered a ray of hope for the beleaguered UPA government. The SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav though joined the protest but refrained from sharing the dais with the BJP leaders here.
Frantically looking for an opportunity to find their feet, the Left Front leaders threw the ideological caution to the winds to share dais with senior BJP leaders including the party chief Nitin Gadkari and Murli Manohar Joshi at a dharna at Jantar Mantar.
Later the Left leaders including Prakash Karat and Sita Ram Yechuri and A B Bardhan joined hands with Yadav at an adjacent venue.
Samajwadi Party’s sudden volte face in calling off its Parliamentary Party meeting also took the political circles by surprise. Although Mulayam Yadav had been claiming that a final decision on SP supporting the UPA government will be taken in the meeting, his cousin and senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav declared that no such meeting has been slated.
Mulayam Singh Yadav had on Wednesday said that his party would decide on its strategy on Thursday in the wake of Trinamool Congress withdrawing its support to the UPA government. “On Thursday, there is a meeting of the Samajwadi Party’s parliamentary board, which will take a decision on the next move,” he had told media-persons.
Sources close to Yadav said that the party is averse to toppling the UPA government. At the same time the party is likely to open its cards after the BSP chief Mayawati declares her strategy during her October 9 public rally.
The TMC’s decision has brought the UPA’s effective strength in the 545-seat Lok Sabha from 273 to 254, slightly below the halfway mark. Now, the ruling Congress is likely to rope in either the SP or the BSP, both of which extend outside legislative support to the UPA regime.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST