Though the ruling BSP and SP are arch rivals in UP, the two parties are in a similar position being cornered by the BJP for their support to the UPA coalition partners in PAC on the 2G draft report. Senior leaders of the two parties concede that they might have to pay a political price for their key role in the PAC but officially the two parties are making attempts to wriggle out of the issue.
A senior SP leader when asked if the party would lose electorally in the upcoming UP Assembly election replied in affirmative, but added that the party member in the PAC had no option but to support the UPA coalition. After the BJP hit the street in UP on the issue of the SP and BSP bailing out the UPA coalition, the ruling BSP rushed in with an official release on Friday late evening claiming that the party has not supported the Congress and the decision of its member in PAC was merely on the ground of too short time to study the draft report.
However, the BSP sources stated that the party is taking stock of the damage that it could face in the upcoming state election and was more concerned on the likley impact on the upper caste voters.
SP member in the PAC Kunwar Revati Raman Singh had made attempts to clarify he had not been party to developments in the committee meeting after it was adjournment. “My position has been that the members had too short time to study the draft report, while the annexures were provided to us on the day of the meeting itself. It would have been better if the PAC meeting was postponed,” Mr Singh had stated. Senior leaders of the SP and BSP also maintain that they have an electoral compulsion not to be seen in the company of the BJP as the minorities constitute 27 per cent of the total voters in UP.