The United Fronts constituents have reconciled to a change in leadership though they outwardly appear fully mobilised behind Dewegowda.
The Samajwadi Party is working towards the installation of GK Moopnaar as Prime Minister. In this formula, as a trade off Kesari would be installed as the President of India. Other constituents are prepared to accept this arrangement. SP leaders point out that come what may, the leader of the coalition will be from the United Front and not from the Congress. Moopanaar is the obvious choice, says an SP leader. Kesari had to hurry, because once the presidential nomination was completed, there would have been nothing left for Kesari.
Congress leaders point out that a week after Kesari was inducted as Congress president, he and Moopnaar had a long discussion, in which the latter had staked his claim. He had told Kesari that he had a better chance of mobilising majority then Kesari himself. He further said that he is a Congressmen at heart and there should not be any problem working with him. Kesari is reported to have agreed.
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Meetings were held between them in the past few days as well and Congressmen presume that the same arrangement has been arrived at. The SP leader points out that all these developments will take a few days to get clarified.
As of now, the stand is that Deve Gowda will not resign and shall face a no-confidence motion. But some SP leaders feel that there is a chance of the Congress splitting.
The BSP-BJP coalition in Uttar Pradesh seems to have triggered the latest round of developments. Jitendra Prasada, who orchestrated the revolt in the UP Congress, had remained steadfast on the anti-UF line, albeit against heavy odds. His stand has got vindicated. But, in the process, the Congress has lost its alliance with the BSP and the ground has been prepared for a repeat rout of the party in northern India. Not only the Congress, the UF is also set to suffer due to the BSP-BJP alliance.
It appears as if both the Congress and the UF have no option but to stick to each other. Kesaris manouvre seems to have been planned keeping this in mind. Even otherwise, SP leaders concede that most of the leaders are in a position that they might go to jail due to involvement in one or the other scam.
They cannot afford to go out of power. Once they are out, they will not be able to weild any influence over the intelligence and the judicial process.