Click to play videoNew Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday withdrew support from the UPA Government at the Centre, alleging she was being harassed over the Rs 175-crore Taj corridor case.
"The UPA government deliberately let the Taj Corridor case linger on to get political mileage," she alleged.
But there were far bigger political stakes. Mayawati sounded her bugle to throw a challenge to the Congress and her political desire to take on the might of the Congress.
The Congress will not be hurt immediately.
Even if BSP MPs sit in the Opposition, the ruling UPA will still retain 323 seats in the present Parliament. Only the reliance on the Samajwadi Party and the Left will be greater. The Congress doesn't appear to have too surprised by her decision to withdraw
“Mayawati's move will have no impact on the UPA Government,” said Cong Gen Secy Digvijay Singh.
While Mayawati has clearly begun to harbour national ambitions, it is the Congress which is expected to bear the onslaught of her party’s growing political influence.
Already in states like Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka, the BSP has eroded Congress vote bank. It is expected to damage Congress prospects in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi later this year.
It has been just over a year since Mayawati's “elephant” trampled the Samajwadi Party’s “cycle” in Uttar Pradesh. Now her eyes are set on the two largest political parties - the Congress and the BJP. By clearly stating her strong dislike for both, she wants people to seriously consider the BSP as a viable alternative, at least in northern India.
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