The Mayawati factor
But there were two political factors that were at work to close the gap between the SP and the Congress between 2004 and 2008. Looking back, the Left pullout over the nuclear deal may have only been the occasion to formalise the friendliness.

First, the Congress was becoming increasingly wary of its Left allies even as cracks in the SP-Left bonhomie started showing. Secondly, the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections saw Mayawati routing the SP in May 2007 and following it up by playing spoiler for the Congress in the subsequent Himachal and Gujarat assembly polls. In Gujarat, the margin of defeat of the Congress was smaller than the number of votes polled by the BSP in as many as 11 seats. In Himachal Pradesh, the number of such seats was 10.

Digvijay Singh admitted that the withdrawal of Left support and the events that followed it did not take the Congress entirely by surprise. “Every political analyst had a sense (that the Left would pull out at some point)...We had an inkling.”

And the Congress was prepared for this eventuality. “When coalition governments are run, one has to be in touch with all possible allies to meet political contingencies as they arise,” he said, but said he had no idea about the negotiations. “If they were done, they were done at the highest levels”.

Mohan Singh, Lok Sabha MP and senior leader of the Samajwadi Party, was more forthright. “The Left had to withdraw support before Lok Sabha elections, as they have a direct fight with the Congress in their strongholds. The Left is only putting a philosophical and ideological gloss on it. The Congress knew it was on borrowed time.” As for the SP drawing closer to the Congress, he said, the circumstance forced it. “After Mayawati came to power, cases are being filed against our workers,” he said. “They are being sent to jail. There is no rule of law in UP. So how do we fight back? We must gather all forces against her.”

... contd.