Congress sets 3-month deadline for AAP: Can it get funnier than this?

The

has set a three-month deadline for the Aam Aadmi Party (

), which it has supported from the outside to form a government in Delhi, on the execution of its promises, said a news channel report. The Congress has been reduced to a third force in the state which it ruled for 15 years and now it is settling a deadline for a new force that is about to assume power. Can it get more ridiculous than this?

The Congress's position on the entire episode has looked susceptible so far. The party is clearly divided on the question of supporting the AAP but yet is backing it owing just to keep itself relevant in the state. For, it believes that if Arvind Kejriwal's administration fails to run the administration as per the tremendous expectations and they pull out at some point of time taking a moral high ground, its prospects could improve in the next polls that will be called in Delhi thereafter.

One wonders why the AAP chose not to kill the enemy after cornering it and keep an exit route ready for it to flee and survive and may even retaliate.

But returning to the Congress, the party will undoubtedly hope for the worst to happen with the AAP. It will not want a re-polling now for that could hurt it further (its tally of eight seats may go down further if re-polling is held with the national polls) and expect the AAP to witness a gradual failure over a period of time so that it can strike at the right time.

The Congress is making a desperate attempt to save its face but can it?

However, saying that, the Congress has the most to lose if the entire national political scenario is taken into consideration and given the strong anti-incumbency mood against the UPA at the moment, the strategic thinking in Delhi is just a face-saving exercise for the grand-old party. And it makes the three-month deadline for the AAP look more foolish. The Congress might have to struggle for survival across the nation in another six months time.

Even in Delhi, the AAP chief minister in Arvind Kejriwal may take two giant steps in passing the Lokpal Bill and reduce the power and water tariff and go to re-polling to seek a majority mandate. The Congress will have little to feel happy about in that situation.