Congress plays cool on RLD merger
Mr Ajit Singh might be very eager to become a Union minister but the Congress in New Delhi, as also in Lucknow, is playing it cool on the issue of the Rashtriya Lok Dal’s merger with the party.
“We have no information about it (the move) ...we have been reading about the move of the RLD’s merger in newspapers and watching it on television,” said an AICC official here on Wednesday. On the other hand, the Uttar Pradesh Congress too has no clue about the reported move.
“We have no knowledge ...no body has given any hint about it. And if something is discussed at the top level, then how do we know,” said an UPCC official.
Mr Ajit Singh’s RLD has five members in the Lok Sabha.
The RLD did not back the Manmohan Singh government on the issue of the nuclear deal with the US in 2008 and was with the NDA during the Lok Sabha elections in 2009.
But the UPA’s resounding victory in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and the Congress’ emergence as an equal player to the Samjwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh in this electoral battle after two decades, might be compelling the RLD chief to review the political line. Though it is unclear whether the RLD wants to become a partner of the UPA or merge his party into the Congress, a coming together of the two parties would certainly change the political equations in Uttar Pradesh.
The Centre is completely depending on the support of the SP, BSP, RJD on passage of important bills. Lalu Prasad Yadav-led party is said to be keen on joining the Manmohan Singh government but the Congress does not want to re-ally with it after the RJD’s defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections and its poor performance in the general election.
The Sonia Gandhi-led party can regain lost ground in Bihar at the cost of the RJD and BJP.
The Prime Minister is said to be contemplating to reshuffle his Cabinet before the Monsoon Session of Parliament in July.
If this takes place, then the speculations about the RJD’s realignment may be over.
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