The government will no longer be guided by the Left parties which have been taking a consistently anti-American and, therefore, anti-nuclear deal position. Not only that, it will also be free to implement measures like pension reforms and liberalisation of insurance which the Left parties have been opposing. In fact, the little time the government has at its disposal before the next elections are called can be utilised for carrying out economic reforms which stood stymied. It will also be in a position to choose an appropriate time for holding elections. Of course, this does not overlook the fact that the UPA will have to listen to new allies like the Samajwadi Party which has its own agenda be it on the Women’s Bill or on the windfall tax.

The two-day debate on the confidence motion had its high and low points. While some speeches were of a high calibre, the spectacle of a BJP member bringing to the House wads of currency notes to show that attempts were made to buy Opposition votes marked a new low in parliamentary practices. It is for the Speaker to ensure that whoever is guilty is given exemplary punishment. The vote has ended the political instability ever since the Left withdrew its support to the government. For the BJP, the UPA government’s victory is a major setback inasmuch as it won on the issue of the nuclear deal with which it has little complaints. The vote marginalises some of the smaller parties which thought they could call the shots in a situation of political instability. The unwarranted projection of UP Chief Minister Mayawati as the Third Front’s prospective leader and, perhaps, the next Prime Minister only helped the government to fortify its position. Having won the vote, nothing prevents Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from concentrating his attention on issues like the price rise.