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New Delhi: The embattled Manmohan Singh government, trying to stave off a survival crisis over the Left's opposition to the India-US civil nuclear deal, on Saturday got a fresh jolt with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) withdrawing support, accusing it of failing to curb inflation and price rise.
The BSP with 17 MPs in the Lok Sabha supports the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from outside.
At a press conference in Delhi, BSP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati announced she was withdrawing support. Relations between the Congress and the BSP have rapidly deteriorated since Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi started wooing Dalits in Uttar Pradesh - who Mayawati considers her vote bank - in an effort to resurrect the Congress in the state.
More difficulties
Sources in the party said that though Mayawati was not a firm ally of the UPA, her party's decision to withdraw support have made things more difficult for the Manmohan Singh government.
The Congress as well as its allies in the UPA are worried over the impact prise rise and inflation, which has crossed eleven per cent, will have on the electorate in case of early general elections.
Sources pointed out that Mayawati's move will drive the Congress closer to the Samajwadi Party (SP) in this hour of crisis. The Congress is hoping that the SP, with its 37 MPs, will bail the government out in case the Left withdraws support and the government has to face a trust motion on the floor of Lok Sabha.
The SP, which is at loggerheads with the BSP, has indicated to the Congress its willingness to consider supporting the nuclear deal.
Hours before Mayawati announced her decision, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) shot off a fresh salvo against the UPA government on the India-US nuclear deal.
Accusing the government of promoting a "bad" nuclear deal with the intention of furthering India-US strategic ties, the CPM politburo said, "Mythical energy claims are being made in order to promote a bad nuclear deal. Energy is just a cover. The real intent is India-US strategic ties."
"The Congress leadership and the UPA government are propagating that the Indo-US nuclear deal is absolutely essential for India's energy security," CPM officials said.
"A massive disinformation campaign has been mounted that nuclear energy is a solution not only to the shortage of electricity in the country but also an answer to the oil price rise."
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