After BJP, TMC in favour of mid-term polls

New Delhi: While the Congress is yet to recover from the shock it received in the Assembly polls 2012, the clamour for mid-term polls is getting louder. After the BJP and the Samajwadi Party made the demand on Tuesday that Congress must announce mid-term polls, ally Trinamool Congress has taken up the issue.

TMC leader and Union Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi said on Thursday that if there is an anti-Congress wave in the country and other parties are asking for it, then the government should announce early mid-term polls.

Out of the five states that went to polls on Tuesday, Congress lost in three, including the politically significant state of Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking at an event, Trivedi said, "Trinamool may also be happy to have a mid-term poll now rather than two years later. If I'm in a situation of a lame duck then I think it may be a good idea to call it a day."

On Wednesday, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy also asserted that there was indeed a possibility of a new coalition government at the Centre or mid-term polls by September or October.

The government would face an uphill task in getting the budget passed, he said.

Mandate 2012: The fallout:

- Pursuit of economic reforms such as FDI in retail could get tougher.

- Like Mamata Banerjee, the Samajwadi Party, too could make unreasonable demands as price for its support to the UPA.

- Mulayam Singh Yadav may join regional leaders to add to the government's woes on issues like NCTC.

- Congress is not in majority in Rajya Sabha.

- Lokpal Bill may still be held up in Rajya Sabha.

- Looming number crunch in upcoming Presidential elections.

- The Congress is least likely to impose its candidate for the President's post.

- The Congress' dependance on allies like the NCP and TMC will increase.

- The Congress will need to reach out to the BSP and the SP too for major policy bills in Parliament.

- The Budget session of Parliament begins on March 12. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's hope of a tough budget to bring economy on track may become difficult.