V P Singh is working for a Pax Indica between UF and

How the Congress has reacted to Singh's overtures is yet to be ascertained. Congress sources rule out the possibility of the party supporting a UF government after the general election.

"Singh's mission will succeed if the UF leaders are willing to join hands with the Congress to form the next government," a Congress official said.

Some UF leaders are hostile to Singh's decision to negotiate with them and the Congress leadership when the election is on. The former prime minister, who once launched his crusade against the Congress on the controversial Bofors scandal, has recently taken a soft stand on the issue after Sonia Gandhi demanded that the government make the Bofors papers public.

How the Left parties react to Singh's proposal will be crucial too; most Communists are unwilling to support 'a Sonia-led Congress'.

Singh also needs to convince South Indian parties like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam, the Tamil Maanila Congress and the Telugu Desam Party about the need to have such an arrangement with the Congress. It is highly unlikely that the DMK and TMC will go along with Singh's scheme; both parties have long standing disagreements with the Congress party.

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