When it finally dawned on the Congress party that the days of single-party rule is over in India, it formed the UPA–the United Progressive Alliance—to fight the last Lok Sabha elections.

When the UPA failed to mop up the magic number, it had to lean on the left front for support to prop up the government. At that time, one of my friends commented: “This is a strange alliance. This will not work. The UPA has now become the Ulta-Pulta Alliance!”

I didn’t take him seriously. But, four and a half years down the line, when the left front withdrew its support to the UPA government, the first thing that came to my mind was my friend’s comment.

My friend had another reservation. No, no, no—I am not talking of that kind of reservation. You got me wrong! He said: “there is nothing called an outside support. Either you are part of the government or you are not. Outside support is no support at all. Again, he was proved right when the left front pulled the plug.

When Dr. Man Mohan Singh flashed the victory sign at the media persons waiting outside the parliament moments before he entered the parliament for the confidence vote, my friend was again skeptical. He said: “I hope SMS (Sardar Manmohan Singh) is not committing another political blunder by whatever he is doing now.”

He was referring to the UPA’s new-founded alliance partners—the Samajwadi Party (SP for short)! SP also stands for ‘Singh Partners’ which aptly describes Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh!

The whole world watched how SMS pulled off the magic number. Again, my friend said: “I hope SMS realizes what he is getting into...There is nothing called a free lunch!” Again, he is proving right.

Days after the confidence vote the SP’s wish-lists have started rolling in. It is payback time! That is the compulsion of coalition politics. While the parties to the coalition please each other, the country pays through her nose!

First, the Prime Minister had to intervene in the Ambani business. For those who do not know it till now, let me tell them: Ambani business is no longer a family business! It has become a national business! Anything that needs the prime minister’s intervention is national business.

One good thing about the SP joining the UPA bandwagon and the prime minister’s intervention in Ambani business is that the support from the rival groups of Ambanis which were flying in two different directions has now been harnessed and it now flows in the same direction. When I say direction, it does not mean East, West, North or South. It simply means UPA!

The Prime Minister’s intervention is sought for Ambani’s power project. When the Provident Fund Organisation decides to park its funds with private financial institutions, the Ambanis figure there. Are these matters of sheer coincidence, or, is there something more to it?

The Samajwadi Party is also trying to work out a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress party for the next elections. Not only in Uttar Pradesh—but also, at the national level.

Again, my friend scratches his head and asks me: Is the UPA turning into UPA? Only, this time, he means: Is the ‘United Progressive Alliance’ turning into an ‘Uttar Pradesh Alliance?!’