Mulayam for PM? Why not?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />Parivar is getting redefined. Sangh and Gandhi are passé. In the new era of fearsome exit poll figures and quaking markets, where hung House is the latest dirty word, a motley crew is preparing to take charge. We''ll call them the extended Sahara parivar.<br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="27.0%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/645016.cms" alt="/photo/645016.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Mulayam Singh Yadav</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">It''s actually a one-time wrestler and schoolteacher propped up by some of the country''s most influential people.That is Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brothers in arms -- men like Amar Singh and Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Ambani and Subroto Roy -- a showy family that lives and loves in the public domain. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">They took UP, a slow, arduous battle of numbers and then sprinkled the magic of stardust and money power. Now they think they can take the country. And they probably can. Mulayam''s lieutenant Amar Singh said as much yesterday: "We will call the shots in the ministry formation in Delhi."</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">It''s not a new thought propelled by the spectre of a hung Parliament. Mulayam Singh Yadav had mumbled quite the same thing a couple of months ago. "People at this table will decide government formation at the Centre", he had said, flanked by Amar Singh and Ajit Singh who had just joined hands with the Samajwadi Party. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">In fact, over a year ago, the SP was already junking the idea of a pre-poll alliance with any party, preferring to enter the game when the magic figure of 272 eluded the major players. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">And look at the scramble for a Mulayam smile now. The Congress was virtually pleading by the time candidates were finalised and the BJP has still not let go of the fond hope that there could be a mating with the SP -- check out the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee''s latest plea to the minorities. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">The calculations are simple. In a fractured verdict, the parties with chunks of 25-50 seats are venerated. Ask Chandrababu Naidu, who has had every whim pandered to by the NDA government in the last five years because he had 29 men in the Lok Sabha. The SP had 27 too and now that it is in power in UP, the party reckons it can only improve on that.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">But the ambitions of Netaji -- even his own son calls Mulayam that -- don''t rest just at playing kingmaker. For long, Mulayam has believed he is destined be the king. The fact that the UP chief minister is himself contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Mainpuri, much to the chagrin of the BJP, shows the man sees his chance now. And now is as good as ever.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold=""><a href="/mailro/645011.cms">Forum: Would you like to see Mulayam become the PM?</a></span><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br />Non-BJP forces are even now warily coming together and if the numbers add up there could be an alliance to form government. In that line-up, there are many regional warlords for whom Sonia Gandhi as PM is still anathema. Each nurses that secret ambition, but if Mulayam and his crucial UP bounty pulls it off for them, he could stake claim.<br /><br />Is that so bad? If Atal Bihari Vajpayee brings with him the Sangh Parivar and Sonia a private limited company called the Congress owned wholly by the Gandhi parivar, then Mulayam''s parivar cannot be scoffed at either. <br /><br />Touch down at Lucknow and you see how they take things over. Beginning at the airport. They dance together, pray together, party together and most importantly stick together. When Mulayam Singh Yadav was anointed UP chief minister, they were all there to cheer. Then, overnight a powerful UP development council, with the who''s who on board, came up. It didn''t take time or effort because much of the who''s who is family.<br /> <br />This is the man that has Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador of his state. His council has committed helpers in golden boys Ambani, Adi Godrej, Roy and Bachchan. And also Infosys man Nandan Nilekani. Rustic UP now talks about an infotech triangle between Kanpur, Allahabad and Lucknow. <br /><br />These luminaries could well become the guardian angels of the nation if their man rules. In any case, UP holds the key to Election 2004 and Mulayam is currently caretaker. He is looking for that chance to slip back into Delhi. He has already been the defence minister. Ambitions can only go beyond now. Chew on it.<br /><br /><a href="/mailro/645011.cms">Forum: Would you like to see Mulayam become the PM?</a><br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>