In another entry, I had written about Rahul Gandhi quickly learning the ropes of Indian politics. His not-so-sudden act of denouncing Mulayam comes as no surprise; on the contrary, methinks it is a well-calculated move.

Now, his mother, the almost-become Prime Minister is following his footsteps. She says that UP hasn’t progressed under non-Congress governments.

Picking up the threads from her son Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday said Uttar Pradesh’s development had suffered during the tenure of non-Congress governments for the last 15 years and situation relating to basic amenities as also the law and order remained bad.

When the Congress was scouting for partners after the elections, she had sent certain feelers to Mulayam, asking his support. However, the Left’s tally worked in her favour, thus obliterating the need to make other friends. Certainly not Mulayam. The “victory” dinner at Delhi, hosted about a month ago saw an uninvited Mulayam, feeling lost and slighted in full view of television cameras. Or the pathetic sight of his pet Amar Singh strolling around in the corridors of power offering (unneeded) support to the Congress.

Sonia hasn’t forgotten the fact that it was he who had vehemently opposed her race for Prime Ministership in 1999.