Congress now reaching out to Samajwadi Party?

New Delhi:  The Congress is facing a tough time because of its allies. Both Trinamool and the DMK are squeezing the Congress with their own agendas.

While Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool wants roll back on train fares and deletion of reference to the National Counter Terrorism Centre from the President's speech, the DMK is demanding that the government should make its stand clear on Sri Lanka.

At a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister the day before, Ms Banerjee was missing - she chose to fly to Nagpur instead to attend a wedding. The fact that she deputed a first-time MP, Ratna De Nag, and not one of her senior ministers or leaders was seen as a flat snub to the Congress. Similarly, The DMK, which is a senior partner in the coalition at the Centre, has reiterated that it could pull out of the government if its demand is ignored.

"That's something I alone can't decide. We would discuss and decide in our executive," said DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

After being put in a tight corner by its allies, the Congress has decided to accelerate its courtship of Mulayam Singh Yadav as a possible replacement for Ms Banerjee, who has whipped the government into submission on many occasions because her 19 Lok Sabha MPs make her essential to the survival of the coalition. Mr Yadav's 22 MPs make him a viable option and he has often rescued the government by voting in its favour on crucial legislation. So, senior Congress leaders like Pawan Bansal and Motilal Vora will attend the swearing-in today of his son, Akhilesh, as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

So what are the possible scenarios facing the Congress which has been pushed to the wall. If the government rolls back the fare hike, it manages to survive; if there is no roll back, the Trinamool and a united Opposition will vote against the government. And if Trinamool quits, the Congress is banking on the support of the Samajwadi Party from outside.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is set to take oath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh today for the first time, after his party gained absolute majority by winning 224 seats in the 403-member Assembly. Thirty-eight-year-old Akhilesh will be the state's youngest chief minister and his Cabinet is likely to be a mix of youth and experience.

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