From Lucknow citadels, BSP, SP track moves of leaders in Delhi

LUCKNOW, JULY 21: As the debate on nuclear deal began in the national Capital on the eve of the trust vote, party offices in Lucknow presented pictures in contrast. The Indian Express visited the offices

Congress

With hopes of winning the trust vote, a view endorsed by the astrologers, the Congress is in high spirits. Unlike other parties, the Congress party office was bustling with activities. The party workers were glued to the television, watching the proceedings of Parliament.

“The numbers are in our favour. Jyotishi bhi keh rahe hain ki Sarkar nahin giregi (Astrologers also predict that the government will not fall),” said a spokesperson. Congressmen were overjoyed with the way leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan have backed the government.

“This indicates that the UPA leaders will jointly undertake the campaign in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections,” said a party worker.

Samajwadi Party

The Samajwadi party, which seems to have given a fresh lease of life to the Government, which was suffering from a bad honeymoon with the Left as their coalition party, is seen by its party workers as a key player to end the autocratic rule present in the state.

A few party workers who were present on the office premises said they were impatient to know the fate of the Manmohan Singh government. According to them, if the government survives, the credit goes to the party chief. “Netaji will be in a position to keep a check on the chief minister’s autocratic style of functioning,” said a party worker.

Bahujan Samaj Party

With Behenji busy making her way to 7 Race Course; party workers were busy backing her ‘national interests’. The Chief Minister who has now become the magnet in the Operation Topple, has taken away all the political drama from Lucknow to her New Delhi residence.

On the contrary, the office of BSP, located near Yojana Bhavan presented a different look with party workers busy giving a patient hearing to those people who had come with their problems.

“This is our second office. Go to Mall Road to see the general mood among the party workers,” said a BSP leader. The entry to media, however, is not allowed in the BSP’s Mall Road office. “It is Behenji’s job to decide the political line in the national politics. She cares for our interest,” said a party supporter outside the BSP office in Mall road.

Bharatiya Janata Party

The BJP, which views this political realignment as a opportunity to gain political mileage, the party workers were closely following each development taking place in the national Capital.

A few party workers who were present in the party office were not so enthusiastic about the possibility of the fall of the UPA government. “Now is the time for Maya versus Mulayam. If the government survives, Maya is bound to face the music. If it falls, Mulayam will find it difficult to keep his Muslim vote bank intact,” said a BJP legislator on conditions of anonymity.

He felt the SP chief Mulayam Singh may be used as a tool by the Congress party to counter the Maya factor in state. “The party will gain from the mistakes that other parties might commit,” he added.