With 2 days to go, state bhawans abuzz with spies, money

Jeffery Archer, the famed British novelist, could be ruing the timing of his recent visit to India.

Jeffery Archer, the famed British novelist, could be ruing the timing of his recent visit to India. For, the ongoing rumblings and games that are being played out in the national Capital and the states in the name of democracy could well have been the subject of his next thriller.

Spies, moneybags, backstabbing, lack of trust, political manoeuvring, intrigue .., name it and every ingredient that is necessary for a fast-paced thriller is part of the ongoing game.

What started with the Left dumping the UPA Government on the proposed nuclear deal has now turned into a full-fledged game of political one-upmanship with crores being reportedly offered to each MP to change sides.

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An MP, who is under the scanner for his anti-Congress uttering, said, “I was amazed when I was offered a mind-boggling sum to vote against the Government. When I told the person making the offer that I was already expected to vote against the UPA, he said if I accepted the cash, his people would be certain.”

Asked who made the offer to him, all that the MP said was “it was a leading businessman with friends in almost all major parties”.

Another MP said a new crop of middle-men, all of them claiming to be working for one side or the other, have suddenly cropped up to do their bit.

“What do you do if an IPS officer tells you he can get two MPs to vote for your side? These days, one can’t be sure whether he is saying the truth or just being a show-off,” wonders a former Union Minister who is in the thick of things these days.

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And, when the case smells of conspiracy and deception, how can the state and the Central intelligence agencies be expected to stay out of the game.

Even a cursory visit to various Bhawans and state guesthouses in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri gives the game away.

Senior intelligence officers of states such as Haryana — two Congress MPs from the state are reportedly under pressure to switch sides — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka are personally camping in the Capital to keep a close tab on the activities of the MPs.

Sources said in some cases special teams have been constituted to keep tab on the MPs. In other cases, in order to ensure that the MP under surveillance does not become aware of the same, sleuths of one state have been keeping a close watch on the residence and movement of MPs from another state.

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And, no, it is not just potential ditchers who are being closely watched. “We have teams watching the activities of the leader of a party who has hinted at opposing the Government. This is because we have been told that he is not trustworthy and could also be talking to the other side,” said a senior intelligence wing officer from a north Indian state who is currently camping in Delhi.