Proud Father

The suave and youthful Akhilesh Yadav turned out to be the SPs trump card

The suave and youthful Akhilesh Yadav turned out to be the SPs trump card. It was his relentless campaign throughout the state several months ago that set the stage for the SPs dramatic victory in UP. Akhileshs modern outlook and savvy image was also thought to have helped in overcoming the SPs earlier image as an anti-English,anti-computer party. Very few know that when Akhilesh was first brought in as an MP,his father,Mulayam Singh Yadav,took pride in introducing him in this image. On one occasion,when he was being introduced to Jaipal Reddy,Mulayam told Reddy: Aapke jaisa hi English bolta hai,angrezi school mein padha likha hai. Ashirvad dijiye.

Call Centre

For Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Tuesday happened to be a day for sending out congratulatory messages from Vladimir Putin who has been elected Russian President,to the leaders of political parties who emerged victorious in the Assembly polls. He spoke to Manohar Parrikar,Parkash Singh Badal and Ibobi Singh,who are set to take charge as the CMs in Goa,Punjab and Manipur respectively. The SP,which had a landslide win in Uttar Pradesh,received special treatment as the PM spoke to Mulayam Singh Yadav,who is likely to become the CM,and his son Akhilesh Yadav. While insiders claimed this was because of Akhileshs role in his partys victory,the PMs gesture could also be an acknowledgment of the fact that the SPs support would be crucial for almost every major decision that his government takes. No call went to Uttarakhand where a clear winner is still to emerge.

Sad Miscalculation

So sure was Capt Amarinder Singh of forming the next government in Punjab that he had even begun the process of finalising his cabinet and shortlisting officers for key positions. Last week,a group of serving and retired bureaucrats close to him organised a get-together in Delhi to decide important postings for some officers of Punjab cadre,currently serving in the central government or on leave.

Dubious Record

Seasoned politicians are said to have an uncanny instinct to sense the direction of the political wind. Not Ajit Singh,though. The RLD chief has consistently failed to gauge the right direction and found himself on the wrong side. Last year,the SP had offered him a pre-poll alliance. He refused and joined hands with the Congress,only to see his partys tally in the current elections reduce. In 2008,he had ditched the Congress and sided with the BSP on the trust vote on the nuclear deal. The UPA government had survived with the SPs support. Then in the 2009 general elections,he broke ranks with Mayawati to join hands with the BJP which was hoping to return to power at the Centre. Once again his instincts proved wrong. With such a record,it wont be long before others start associating bad luck with Ajit Singh.