Parties discuss strategies after hung house predictions

Party president Rajnath Singh and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi,flew in this morning,were present at the meeting. Modi is likely to be deputed by the BJP to rope in AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa into the NDA fold.

Modi told reporters before the meeting “I am here to take part in the post-poll political process. What is there to hide”.

In the exit polls,the ruling UPA appears to have emerged as the single largest grouping and projected to get between 190 to 205 seats with the NDA not far behind at 185 to 196 in the 543-member House,opening up the possibility of a key role for small parties in government formation. Projecting a highly-fractured verdict,the surveys have placed the Third Front at a little over 100 seats.

Leaders of both the Congress and the BJP were optimistic of doing much better than the exit poll predictions but were unwilling to spell out how they hope to reach the magic figure of 272 required for a majority in the Lok Sabha.

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said her party did not rely on exit polls and expressed confidence that the Congress will lead the UPA government post May 16. Asked whether Congress will do any business with the Left,she said,”any decision will be taken by the party and the leadership only after the votes are counted and a full picture emerges”.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar,however,discounted the Left supporting a Congress-led government saying he did not see a major role for the Left which was likely to get less seats this time. “Left is saying no BJP,no Congress. Let them pursue the line,” he said dismissing suggestions that they (Left) would be kingmakers. Javadekar also referred to political pitfalls in stitching up alliances. If the Congress takes Left’s support,it’s ally in West Bengal,Trinamool Congress,may snap ties.

Similary,both the BSP and the SP as also the DMK and the AIADMK cannot sail in the same boat. So,except the Left,one of these could back the NDA. CPI leader D Raja said the Left was in touch with all its allies. “The Left parties will meet on May 18 and will have proper consultations with its allies. We will assess the situation and formulate our position. We are confident that the Left parties will play an important role along with its allies in government formation,” he said.

Also Fourth Front leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday discussed the future course of action for government formation at the Centre. Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and his party general secretary drove to the residence of Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan,where they met for nearly 30 minutes.

RJD leader Lalu Prasad,who is also part of the new alliance was,however,not present as he was in Patna. After the meeting,Singh told reporters that the

Fourth Front will decide on the future course of action after the results are out on May 16.

“We will decide and come up with a strategy…the alliance is not restricted to the elections. It will continue post-poll,” Singh,flanked by both Yadav and Paswan,said. When asked about the the absence of the RJD chief,he said “Prasad is in Patna. We spoke to him over telephone.” Singh,however,evaded questions on the Fourth Front’s Prime Ministerial candidate. “No comments,” he said to queries on the alliance’s stand on PM candidate. Exit polls have projected that UPA will get 190 to 205 seats and NDA 185 to 196 in the 543-member House and Third Front at a little over 100 seats.

Asked about TRS joining the NDA,Singh said the question should be posed to senior Left Front leader Prakash Karat. “You should ask him this question,not me,” he quipped. Asked about Congress President Sonia Gandhi talking to RJD chief and Fourth Front leader Lalu Prasad,he said he was not aware of it. Welcoming the Supreme Court decision to revoke NSA imposed against BJP’s Varun Gandhi,Singh said,”Who can oppose the decision of the apex court.”