Prez polls: UNPA on brink of collapse; history repeats itself

New Delhi, July 19 (UNI) The last minute decision of the UNPA's leading constituent AIADMK to vote in the Presidential elections as against the last week's announcement of the Alliance that it would abstain has in a way resulted in a repeat of history.

The AIADMK's change of stand was opposed by the Samajwadi Party and the TDP, with an eye on their Muslim vote bank, though some of the SP MLAs in Madhya Pradesh and with in Bihar have gone against the party stand and voted.

These developments have led to serious divide in the Alliance which was trying to find foothold in the national politics.

A similar situation had developed in 2002 at the time of the Presidential election outgoing. In that election SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had declared his support for Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, which finally resulted in the collapse of the People's Front formed by the party with the Left.

The Left parties had then fielded Lakshmi Sehgal as their candidate, though knowing fully well that her victory was impossible, but in a move to register their equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP.

In the 2002 Presidential polls, Mr Yadav was the main proponent for Dr Kalam's candidature, to which the BJP also found no objection and the Congress also extended support later.

The TDP, which was an ally of the ruling NDA at that time had also come out in Dr Kalam's favour.

Their decisions had led to the break-up of the People's Front.

The same situation has today developed with the AIADMK's decision, though this time there is role reversal for the SP, which is now dead against supporting any of the candidates.

Speculations have been rife in political circles for quite sometime about the differences in the Alliance over the presidential polls, but the divide became evident only this morning after Ms Jayalalitha's statement asking her pary MPs and MLAs to vote in today's presidential elections.

Anoher UNPA constituent MDMK also defied the last week's collective decison when its MPs and MLAs voted in the election.

These developments led to a rebellion in the Asom Gana Parishad, with a sizeable majority of the party MLAs going out vote, leaving behind party chief Brindaban Goswami and some others as they got the news from Chennai. In Andhra Pradesh, two senior TDP MLAs also voted.

The National Conference, which was said to be coming close to the UNPA, is also reported to have parted company as far as the presidential election was concerned.

UNI