Congress allies are in the dock at a time when the UPA 2 is completing three years in office on May 22.
While the Congress leaders are drawing attention to the “coalition compulsions” suggesting that the Prime Minister is unable to executive his reform agenda, at least three constituents of the UPA — the DMK, Trinamul Congress and the NCP — are under attack for different reasons.
If the spectrum scam has badly affected the credibility of the Manmohan Singh government, the Trinamul Congress’ flip flop on policy issues, including the FDI in retails, have shown that the Congress is unable to convince its partner.
On the other hand, Maharashtra chief minister Prathiviraj Chavan has been attacking ally NCP under the pretext of “coalition compulsions”.
The Congress cannot afford to criticise the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference for the simple reason that Jammu and Kashmir has been a sensitive state.
The Ajit Singh-led RLD is a recent entrant to the UPA.
The Congress cannot afford to blame regional players following its debacle in the Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Goa elections.
It came to power in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhad by “managing” numbers after the polls.
If this trend continues, then the Congress has no other option but to go ahead with the coalition government at the Centre and in the states. Currently, it is sharing power in Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to a question about problems with allies like the Trinamul Congress and how PM Manmohan Singh had failed to stand up to them, Union minister Salman Khurshid told a television channel he (Prime Minister) alone could not be held responsible.
Sections of the Indian and foreign press have criticised Dr Singh as a weak PM. After the Congress failed to convince the Trinamul Congress on FDI in retail, the Wall Street Journal had said Dr Singh’s “humiliation is complete”.