Presidential poll: Mamata eyes Delhi in high-stakes plot, signals distance from Cong

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee's move to join hands with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to scuttle the chances of the Congress nominees to the post of President carries a clear message - she is firm on increasing her distance from Congress.
Talking to newspersons on Wednesday, Mamata denied that every time she visited Delhi it was to pursue her demand for a financial bailout for Bengal, and said that her first priority has always been the interest of her state.It is also difficult to accept her other contention that her stance on the presidential nominee and the issue of a moratorium on central loans are quite unrelated.
According to observers, by scuttling Pranab Mukherjee's prospects of becoming President, Mamata could have given vent to her displeasure at being denied the moratorium by the Union finance minister. In fact, her rejection of both the candidates suggested to her by Congress president Sonia Gandhi could also be a message that Congress must not deny the urgent demands of an ally that it cannot do without.
But the other important part of the political drama that is unfolding in Delhi is Mamata and Mulayam joining hands to put Congress in an embarrassing position. While the refusal of a financial bailout could have spurred Mamata to teach Congress a lesson, it is not clear why Mulayam, another key ally of Congress, would do the same. But the fact is that the Mamata-Mulayam pincer move has put Congress on a sticky wicket.
With the next Lok Sabha elections less than two years away, observers interpret the joint move of Mamata and Mulayam as an expression of their lack of confidence in the political future of UPA. Issues like price-rise have not only antagonized Mamata but also added to the unpopularity of the Congress rule. Mamata understands too well that she would have to be on the right side of the ruling party at the Centre to run Bengal well.
With the fractured nature of the political mandate, and the number of MPs at her command, Mamata would now like to seize the opportunity to increase her clout in Delhi so that she can play a more important role in the future ruling coalition at the Centre. One way of ensuring this is to join hands with other powerful and like-minded regional parties. Whether Mamata's joining hands with Mulayam would pave the way for the formation of a third front before the next general election is a question, however, now too early to answer.
In a way, Mamata and Mulayam are natural allies, because of their emphasis on the welfare of minorities. Their suggesting the name of APJ Abdul Kalam is a clever move, as Kalam would enjoy the support of NDA but no one could blame either Mamata or Mulayam as he also represents the minority community. They have not burnt the bridges with UPA altogether because Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's name is also there on their list of choices.
Now, it is for Congress to take it or leave it. And also to carry the message home that Mamata should not be rubbed the wrong way in future.