With TMC pullout, UPA allies play wait and watch game

The Samajwadi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam realize the need to highlight popular sentiments against the diesel price hike, reports Kavita Chowdhury 

A day after temperamental alliance partner Trinamool Congress pulled out from the United Progressive Alliance, allies like the Samajwadi Party and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which had so far solidly backed the government started playing a wait and watch game.

The Congress top brass met on Wednesday morning at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence to take stock of the political fallout of Banerjee's announcement. Significantly, TMC ministers will only be tendering in their resignations to the PM on Friday at 3 pm; thus giving the UPA a window of opportunity to reconsider its decisions.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had withdrawn support on Tuesday citing the reason that she could not support "anti-people"decisions. She had demanded a rollback of the diesel price hike, relaxation of the cap on LPG cylinders and cancellation of FDI in multi-brand retail.

With Mamata playing the 'aam aadmi' card and emerging as the sole champion raising the plight of the masses, parties like the Samajwadi Party and the DMK, realised they too needed to be seen as highlighting popular sentiments against the price hike. 

Therefore, SP which till Tuesday had not made any dissenting noises, suddenly on Wednesday morning declared that they would be holding a parliamentary party meet on Thursday and they would be taking a call on whether to continue support to the UPA.

Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday said that the party would be holding protests across Uttar Pradesh.

"We want that wisdom should dawn upon the government. What have you [the government] given to the people apart from inflation and corruption. There is so much burden on the common man, so much burden on the farmers," he added.

The DMK, meanwhile, has announced that they will be joining in the all India bandh on September 20 called by non-UPA parties and the Left to protest against the price hike. 

DMK patriarch Karunanidhi said, "People in the state are already reeling under the increase in transport, milk, electricity charges and price rise. The Centre, burdening the common man further, has announced increase in the diesel price, limiting subsidised cooking gas and allowing FDI in multi-brand retail. To protest these decisions,a nation-wide protest has been announced on Sep 20."