2G: Anxious UPA awaits court order on P Chidambaram

New Delhi: It is not just Union Home Minister P Chidambaram but the entire top Congress leadership too who will be watching the trial court's verdict on Saturday with a bated breath. A nod to probe Home Minister's role in 2G issue will upset the UPA's cart.

The timing of a possible adverse verdict can't be worse. The verdict comes close to battleground that is the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections and the upcoming Budget Session in which the UPA government needs support of allies and the Opposition.

Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "Repeated attempts to politicise and sensationalise the SC judgement reveals the BJP's practice."

But this attack on the BJP may be shortlived if things go against the government on Saturday.

The implications are that the next target would be the Prime Minister. The Opposition would inist that he is equally culpable.

If so, then the winning edge goes to the Opposition and corruption in 2G could then become a gamechanger like Bofors was in 1989.

If P Chidambaram comes under the scanner, allies like Trinamool Congress (TMC) could leave the UPA - not wanting to share the scam taint. And this could upset Congress' plan to bring in Rahul Gandhi in 2014 elections.

The government's strategy is simple - it wants to selectively read from Thursday's Supreme Court judgement, which said that however, as the Minister of C&IT was very much conscious of the fact that the Secretary, Finance, had objected to the allocation of 2G spectrum at the rates fixed in 2001, he did not consult the Finance Minister or the officers of the Finance Ministry.

Union Minister Sharad Pawar on Friday backed the Prime Minister. This backing brings relief but it all depends on the order of the 2G special court judge.

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