Suspense mounts as Cong,BJP try to rope in new parties

On the eve of counting of votes,Delhi witnessed a flurry of political activity,with two major groupings UPA and NDA exploring possibilities of roping in as many parties into their fold to shore up their numbers.

On the eve of counting of votes,Delhi on Friday witnessed a flurry of political activity,with two major groupings UPA and NDA holding strategy sessions and exploring possibilities of roping in as many parties into their fold to shore up their numbers.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani held a series of meetings with senior leaders of their parties and allies to discuss possible post-poll situations.

Both the groupings were making efforts to keep their alliances intact besides roping in Third Front constituents,particularly BSP,JD(U),AIADMK,TDP,BJD and PMK which are expected to win a substantial number of seats.

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With Congress and BJP trying everything to poach on constituents of Third Front,leaders of Left parties and TDP,which are the key initiators of the third alternative,talked to leaders of their allies including AIADMK to seek reassurance that they had not defected.

JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,who is being wooed by Congress,today created a stir by saying that his party would support a government which will grant special status to Bihar.

The comment was interpreted as JD(U) keeping options open on future alliance even though it is part of the BJP-led NDA. Hoping not to lose JD(U),BJP sought to read Kumar’s statement in its favour.

“He (Nitish Kumar) knows that only the NDA can provide Bihar with such a package,” BJP president Rajnath Singh said.

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Significantly,Kumar did not turn up in Delhi for a meeting of NDA Chief Ministers scheduled today,forcing its postponement.

Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal said Kumar should explain what he means by the special status.

Aptly summing up the current political situation,NCP General Secretary Praful Patel said “everybody is in touch with everybody.”

Gandhi held strategy sessions with senior Congress leaders,including Pranab Mukherjee,A K Antony,Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel.

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Congress is hoping that Left parties would not get as many seats as the last time and end up extending support.

“The Left will be left with lesser number of seats than 2004 and what political manouvering can they do with that is yet to be seen,” Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters.

Advani held discussions with ally and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala while other BJP leaders,including M Venkaiah Naidu,Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley,were engaged in wooing more parties like TDP,AIADMK and BSP,respectively.

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