Maya foes ready for toppling game

The mood is certainly pro-active if the utterances of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is to be believed. Sonia declared at a conclave of Congress CMs yesterday that her party is open to a ‘‘possible’’ tie-up with the SP in UP, and to the idea of a broad-based alliance at the Centre.

It is a long way from the acrimony that followed the SP’s refusal to support the Congress’ bid for power at the Centre in 1999, and the latter’s vengeance in 2002, which resulted in SP, the single largest party yet without absolute majority, foregoing power in UP.

SP general secretary Amar Singh said: ‘‘We welcome Soniaji’s statement. It will have a far-reaching impact on the secular polity of this country. It is enough to get the fascist and communal BJP and opportunistic BSP, worried.’’

Singh is non-plussed about the finger pointing towards his party for political opportunism, with new-found Opposition unity. ‘‘It is Atalji and Advani who are masters at this game, so the BJP has no face to accuse me of shifting loyalties,’’ he said, adding ‘‘The Congress and SP have no ideological differences unlike other secular parties who joined the NDA for for the sake of power.’’

On a coalition at the Centre, Singh said Congress should take the initiative being the larger party. The possibility of another Third Front looms again, with elections not far away. ‘‘Let Soniaji come forward, we’ll sit down and thrash it out,’’ he said, adding ‘‘This time, we will not allow communal forces to take advantage of our fragmented stand.’’

For instance, in Bihar, the Congress and the RJD are allies, but the SP has broken ties with the RJD after it came together on a platform. ‘‘In politics there are no permanent enemies or friends,’’ Singh said.