DMK may cash in Sri Lanka issue for polls: Vinod Sharma

Expressing dissatisfaction over India's stand on the human rights resolution issue in Sri Lanka, DMK pulled out of the UPA government on Tuesday. Vinod Sharma, Political Editor of Hindustan Times believes this might be a major issue for the upcoming elections in 2014 and therefore, the DMK has withdrawn support from the coalition government.

However, Sharma feels this may not affect the government and it may tide over the crisis with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party's (SP) help. Here is the edited transcript of the interview on CNBC-TV18. Q: Does this surprise you that they are saying that they will not extend even outside support, what ramifications could this have? A: Looking from their standpoint, it is more to make this Sri Lankan-Tamil issue into a major issue in the next elections in 2014. So, if they were to keep the outside support, their purpose would not be served because they want to turn this into a major election plan.
 
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) withdrawing support means that the government loses a bit of credibility because it is a coalition government and Mamata Bannerjee earlier had withdrawn support and had walked out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). This is the second major party deciding to walk out of the UPA. The government may survive but its gravitas will go. Q: You are sure that it will survive and this is not paving the way for earlier elections in any form because now the numbers are pretty thin in terms of a majority? A: Outside support of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) is still intact. Though the SP is upset with Beni Prasad Verma's remarks against Mulayam Singh Yadav, he refuses to apologise personally to Mulayam Singh Yadav. If this crisis too continues, it could have implications but we will have to wait and watch over the next couple of days to see how things pan out in Delhi. But, it is a serious crisis for the government. There is no doubt about that.