M A I N   N E W S

UPA hopes Didi won’t go too far
Anita Katyal/TNS

New Delhi, September 15
Having decided to push ahead with its stalled reforms agenda, the UPA government has now to contend with its tough-talking ally, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, whose unwavering opposition to FDI and fuel price hike does not provide much comfort to the ruling combine.

There are no signs of a climb-down by Mamata Banerjee, who has set a 72-hour deadline for the Centre to roll back its decisions, but the Centre hopes she will not pull out and that her belligerence is due to her political competition with the Left in Bengal. It also takes comfort from the fact that Mamata is constrained from going with the BJP because of her large Muslim constituency. However, wary UPA ministers admit they should be prepared for the worst as Mamata Banerjee is known to be unpredictable.

The UPA was also discomfited by its outside supporter Samajwadi Party’s (SP) decision to join the September 20 nation-wide strike called by the Left parties, TDP, BJD and Janata Dal (S) against FDI and fuel hike. BSP chief Mayawati, who also extends external support to the UPA, has joined the anti-FDI chorus, stating she will decide on her support to the UPA on October 10.

The UPA will find itself in deep waters if the TMC, SP and BSP, which have 62 seats in the Lok Sabha, pull out. So far, the SP and BSP have not spoken about such a move in definite terms.

The UPA's problems have been compounded after its outside supporter, the SP, decided to join the nation-wide strike.

The gameplan

• The government will try to convince its allies and supporting parties that it is not binding on states to implement FDI and that the other decisions were unavoidable
• It is also working on a strategy to ensure that Mamata and Mulayam do not team up against the UPA