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Horse-trading of MPs going on at brisk pace in U.P.

LUCKNOW: Horse-trading is in top gear in Uttar Pradesh, with the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party making a determined bid to breach each other’s fortress ahead of the July 21-22 trial of strength of the United Progressive Alliance government in Parliament. The battle lines have been drawn on the basis of their opposition or support for the India-U.S. nuclear deal as well as the Congress-led UPA government.

The BSP seems to have stolen a march on its bitter political adversary in the first lap. Three Samajwadi MPs – Munawwar Hasan, Jai Prakash Rawat and Rajnarain Budhaulia – have indicated that they will defy the party whip to support the UPA government and the nuclear deal.

After poaching on the SP territory, the BSP’s next target is said to be the Congress — which has nine MPs from the State including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Ruling party sources said efforts were on to win over three Congress MPs. The speculation gained ground after the former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP, Akhilesh Das Gupta, left the Congress and joined the BSP a couple of months ago.

However, the Pradesh Congress president, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, denied that any MP would desert the party.

For its part, the SP is reported to have initiated moves to break the ruling party’s bastion. A senior SP leader claimed that a BSP MP from eastern Uttar Pradesh would vote for the nuclear deal and the UPA government. About half a dozen other BSP members have also been approached by the SP, according to informed sources.

Among the mainstream parties in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP remains unfazed. It has 10 MPs from the State. The Rashtriya Lok Dal with three MPs is the other party having its base in Uttar Pradesh.

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