The alliances for the immediate future and as a belligerent Mayawati and her BSP cadres make a forward political move as the Congress accepting the ground reality making a friendly gesture towards Mulayam Singh Yadav and the SP. The realignment may or may not lead to aformal alliance for the future as there are many months to go for elections but the political message is clear and as things stand this posture for the moment will suit both the Congress/SP.

The Samajwadi party and their alliance with the Left and efforts to forge a Third Front have helped them to keep their relevance and with forty seats in the Lok Sabha they cannot over a period of time be ignored from the power circuit. Mayawati has the ability to win seats in the next election but in the immediate short term she is waging a political war on to many fronts and her aggressive approach and usage of the official agencies is a negative and indicates arrogance and a vendetta approach towards her opponents. Coalition patterns prevail over personal likes and dislikes and the current alliance formation of the UPA with the Left may well repeat after the 2009 elections no one knows for the moment the direction the BSP/AIDMK/TDP will take in the future.

Political trends and preferences are difficult to predict in a Coalition structure and with increased media coverage and technology the average voter is today better informed than ever before and political accountability and anti incumbency trends which follow indicate the public mood. The electronic media gave an indication of a war like situation existed in Western UP as the entire police force was deployed to arrest Mahender Singh Tikait for an offensive speech. The Supreme Court decision on the Amitabh Bachan land issue also smacks of an unnecessary vendetta and all these are excesses in any form results in retribution. Time for Mayawati and the BSP to reflect on the political situation in the state and plan their strategy for the future as the current alliance or understanding between the Congress and the SP may well change the public mood as General elections approach for the future.

We have important developments in Pakistan as a government is sworn in and things seem to be rather calm and this is a very good sign. We must hope that in the future the traditional areas of conflict will be put aside as in the case with China and we will have greater co operation and interaction with Pakistan. The public opinion on both sides would be strongly in favor of better and increased relations and this would mean a great deal of prosperity to our mutual benefit. Democracy over a period of time will bring the necessary changes provided political interests are valued over the personal ones. For that we have to sit and watch out for the coming elections and by the time that happens what can we say but all is fair in the name of politics.