Did Sonia time it right with BSP?

NEW DELHI: Even when she was jailed during the Janata Party regime, the dethroned Prime Minister Indira Gandhi managed to change the complexion of Indian polity. In a simple, yet far-reaching gesture, she got a bouquet of flowers delivered to Charan Singh at a kisan rally.
Delivered by Congress leader Bhisham Narain Singh, this gesture set the pace for changing equations within the Janata Party.The party got hopelessly divided, Charan Singh emerged as an alternate power centre and went on to become the Prime Minister with Congress support. The rest, as they say, is history.
Last week, Congress president Sonia Gandhi attempted to take a leaf from her mother-in-law''s book. As soon as Sonia learnt that BSP leader Kanshi Ram had been admitted to hospital with a cerebral stroke, she promptly sent a bouquet of flowers and followed it up with a phone call to former UP chief minister Mayawati to inquire about the ailing leader''s health.
The question doing the rounds in the political circles is: Like Indira Gandhi''s gesture, will Sonia Gandhi''s move have a similar far-reaching impact and result in a possible Congress-BSP patch-up?
"You can read too much into it or read too little into it," remarked senior Congress leader K Natwar Singh, stating that the Congress president had made a gracious gesture and Mayawati had been equally gracious in appreciating it.
While Congress leaders might dismiss it as a gracious move, the political implications of Sonia''s telephone call can hardly be overlooked. With Mayawati publicly appreciating the gesture and savaging her political detractors for not extending the same courtesy to Kanshi Ram, a number of political leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Advani and UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, have since rushed to see the ailing BSP leader.
Mayawati''s turn-around on Sonia has set off speculation that this could well be "the beginning of a beautiful friendship" between the two parties. Ever since Mayawati was dethroned and the SP-led government installed in UP, the Congress has steered clear of making any critical remarks about the BSP. It deliberately decided not to join the Mulayam government to send a message to Mayawati that it was ready to have a pact with it.
Congress sources said nothing concrete has emerged so far and it is unlikely that the two will have an alliance in the coming four assembly elections. The two leaders, however, are looking ahead at the next Lok Sabha polls. The Congress believes that an electoral pact with the BSP will help garner the crucial Dalit votes which are solidly with Mayawati.