Political parties begin preparations for polls

With the impasse between the UPA government and its Left allies over the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement nowhere near over, political parties have been carefully girding their loins in anticipation of a mid-term General Election.

Among the UPA allies, the first off the block is Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar who informed his party workers at a party convention in Maharashtra last week that they should get ready for elections in the next four to five months.

Even in the UPA meeting held on Sunday to discuss the present crisis between the government and the Left, Pawar appeared the most calm among the allies at the prospect of elections.

Within the Congress too, word of a party organisation reshuffle has now gone round. Where once the party spoke of a Cabinet reshuffle after the monsoon session, an AICC reshuffle with a possible induction of Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi is being discussed. "Even if the government weathers this crisis, elections are imminent in the next few months," said a senior minister in the government.

The BJP too is gearing up for what Leader of the Opposition L K Advani has said is the end of the UPA government and a mid-term poll. Party president Rajnath Singh has begun meeting Members of Parliament from various states.

"Yesterday, MPs from Madhya Pradesh met with him, today MPs from Rajasthan met with the party president, tomorrow the Gujarat MPs are scheduled to meet. Members from Assam, Bihar and Orissa will be next," said a source in the BJP.

"The party is trying to get an assessment first from the states where it holds power, since there is likely to be an anti-incumbency factor at work in these states and we might not do well there," said the source.

Various smaller parties too are putting their set pieces in place. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has been quietly distancing herself from the NDA and the BJP. She refused to vote along with the BJP in the presidential and vice-presidential elections. Talk of her going with the Congress in the event of a poll are already making the rounds.