Will UPA's 'Maha'rally convince Anna?

After Maharashtra official Umesh Chandra Sarangi on Sunday, government may deploy leaders like Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde in the next few days as negotiators

While Ramlila Maidan remains in the foreground, backchannel negotiations are on between Team Anna and the government. And with the new strategy adopted by UPA, sources say the deadlock is likely to end in a day or two. "The government has seen the unprecedented support for Anna from all parts of the country on the issue of Jan Lokpal bill.


Hear, hear: Anna Hazare on the 6th day of his protest fast at
Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday. PIC/Subhash Barolia

As Anna himself has warned that the protest on August 30 will create records, in addition to the fact that his fast will enter 15 days, government will certainly negotiate for some solution much before, probably by Tuesday or Wednesday," said a Congress leader from Maharashtra. The leader also hinted that the role of Maharashtra-based politicians will definitely play a vital role in the negotiation. "It is a fact that leaders like Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushil Shinde, Ashok Chavan have experience of negotiating with Anna. Even Maharashtra ministers Balasaheb Thorat (revenue minister) and VK Patil (agriculture minister) may be introduced in later stages to negotiate with Anna," he added.

One, two, three
Sources said that the dialogue between Team Anna and Maharashtra additional chief secretary Umesh Chandra Sarangi, who visited Hazare thrice on Sunday at the Ramlila Maidan, where he is on an indefinite hunger strike demanding a strong Lokpal, is mainly to set a suitable atmosphere for negotiation between government and members of civil society to reach a consensus. It may be noted that Sarangi had met Anna on Saturday as well. While Team Anna described the meeting as 'personal' and maintained that they are not going to compromise on the issue of corruption.

Sources also indicated that government may announce developments on the issue on the floor of the house in Parliament on Tuesday. "Government is likely to discuss the issue with members of Opposition on Monday. It will keep approaching Team Anna through different negotiators, whom Anna has confidence in, till the occurrence of a final solution," said an associate of a senior leader.

Rejected!
Meanwhile, the government sent a proposal to Team Anna in a bid to break the impasse over the Lokpal Bill on Sunday evening. However, Arvind Kejriwal rejected the proposal saying it has nothing new and none of the demands of the team have been met.

Hazare, who earlier on Sunday expressed his willingness to have a dialogue on the Lokpal issue with the government, upped the ante in the night when he warned of "unprecedented revolution" in the country if Lokpal Bill is not passed by August 30. Raising his voice, he said the government will have to "either get the Bill passed or go."

Hope floats
A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the government was open for discussion, Hazare said his campaign against corruption has not closed the door of dialogue with it to resolve the differences on Lokpal bill.

"We have not closed the door of dialogue. We have kept it open. Only through dialogue the issues can be resolved. The people in the government have not come from England. They are our own people but they have turned into traitors," he told supporters at Ramlila Ground.

'Readyu00a0to talk'
Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said he was willing to be a mediator and talk to Anna Hazare if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wanted him to do so. Shinde, a former Maharashtra chief minister who knows Hazare well, said there should be discussions and it will take place. Hazare hails from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra.

Talking to reporters in Solapur, Shinde said that government wanted to curb the corruption, but there was no quick-fix. He refused to answer when asked whether Hazare's campaign was justifiable, but said the Prime Minister would resolve the situation soon.

'PMu00a0should resign'
BJP leader L K Advani yesterday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should quit and hold fresh elections, as the ruling alliance has lost confidence of the people.
Advani, who was in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, to participate in a function said: "This government is totally corrupt. The Prime Minister has a great reputation of being an economist. But the common man is shocked to find that ever since this government has come to power, prices have been going up and up."