Despite the grim economic situation, governance and coalition compulsions, Congress managers see a UPA-3. Thanks to the Narendra Modi-RSS combine.

Assembly elections in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram will be held in October and a notification in this regard will be issued next month, likely in the third week.

The government has kept open the option of calling a joint session of Parliament in case the Food Security Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha Monday night, runs into hurdles in the Rajya Sabha.

The UPA lacks majority in the Rajya Sabha. Its strength in the House of 245 members including the nominated members is 96. This means that the Congress-led coalition has to depend on the BSP (15),Samajwadi Party (9), RJD (2), LJP (1). All these parties have been backing the government from outside.

The Congress party played the Food Security Card to blunt the Opposition’s campaign on corruption and price rise in the Lok Sabha elections ahead.

The bugle for next year’s Lok Sabha elections has virtually been sounded by the BJP and the Samajwadi Party as they locked horns over the VHP’s controversial yatra that was “symbolically” launched in Ayodhya on Sunday.

The VHP yatra could influence Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi scheduled for later this year. They will see a straight battle between the BJP and the Congress ruling in two states each.

The Congress has started working on a manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, asking its state units to provide inputs for it in the next two weeks.

The media war between the Congress and the BJP could intensify further with the Sonia Gandhi-led party holding a one-day national workshop for its select 300 activists on Thursday to foil the saffron party’s design.

The two national parties — the Congress and the BJP — are not approaching “like-minded parties” to expand the UPA and the NDA before the general elections, for different reasons.