Samar shook his head — “Nobody will go. They know we hold the power today.”And he would wrest the best from either Janta or HJS, whoever was willing to give.
“That’s what I am saying, use that power to sway a rising sun, not the one that is setting,” Atharva argued. "HJS is fragmenting. Their founding member is not here anymore to hold them together. Theywilloffer you more, but Janta is the long game.”
“Hmm. You mean we should give Yogesh Patel the first chance?”
“I mean, we shouldonlygive Yogesh Patel a chance. We already have an alliance with them in Jammu & Kashmir, they are the ruling party at the Centre. And looking at their ratings, they are not going anywhere in the near future. Furthermore, all the expansion we have started in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana will best be penetrated with Janta by our side. We start as their B team and then slowly take over from there.”
“I agree with Atharva Bhai,” Hariraj nodded. “We pressure Janta that we have an option with HJS and get the best that we can.”
Atharva smirked — “Bingo.”
“I don’t think so…” Balwinder Joshi chimed. “HJS will be subservient to us. We may not get our CM, but Deputy, Home and Finance can easily be wrested. At our numbers, that’s a feat.”
“With Janta, you will be able to get two out of these three,” Atharva pointed. “But you will be able to influence all decisions because you will have the power to pull your support at any given point. They will acknowledge that, and give you unofficial powers. Because a party that tastes power once, does not want to let it go. At any cost.”
Samar gave it a thought. The logic made sense. The table erupted in a debate, and Samar kept tally, because he was now confused. He had planned to give HJS and Janta, both equal shots. The debate was now turning in favour of Janta. Atharva was silent.
All eyes turned to Samar, but Samar looked at Atharva.
“Atharva? What do you say?”
He nodded. “Both options at this point look lucrative. But Hariraj made a valid point. Our bargaining power with Janta will be higher than HJS.”
“Would you like to sit for the meeting with Yogesh Patel?” Samar asked.
“I can sit. It’s been a while since I saw him.”
“Bad cop or good?”
Atharva shrugged — “You are leading, go figure.”
————————————————————
“Samar sahab, what you are asking is unreasonable.” Yogesh Patel shook his head calmly, setting the list of ministries down. Samar sat opposite him on the round table in his own office, and yet he felt like he was the one who had come to Yogesh Patel. How did the man exert such an aura?
He glanced to the side, the line of secretary chairs, occupied by three other men aside from them — Hariraj, Roshanji and Atharva.
It pushed Samar to reason — “You and HJS both are at 21-22, we are the only major party that can pick from either to form government. I think there’s strong enough reason why HDP gets to decide what ministries it keeps.”
“Not with these numbers, no.” Yogesh Patel said. “AT 14, you do not represent the majority of the population. You have the numbers to shift dynamics that could only be devised by divine intervention. I am happy that a valued partner like HDP has the opportunity to do this, but I will not give in to bullying.”
“This is plain, simple politics, Yogesh Bhai. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same had you been in my place.”
“If I were in your place, I would look at long-term. Wresting out ministries at the formation of the government is not victory. You are here to stay. Stay and work with us, build more in the state. Your expansion across the rest of northern India is also at stake otherwise.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No. It’s what I would do if I were in your place. Withdraw your list, and let’s discuss a more reasonable one.”
Samar knew anyway that the list of demands he had passed on wouldn’t materialise. So, he got down to the real ones now.
“I respect you, and I respect our alliance in Jammu-Kashmir. In keeping with that, I will relent on some, hoping you will relent on others.”
Yogesh Patel stared unflinchingly at him, then gave a nod. Samar smiled.
“Your Chief Minister, of course, with HDP Deputy Chief Minister. The smaller ministries are up for discussion, but we will not settle without Home, Law & Order, and Finance."
Yogesh Patel got slightly worked up, which was a rare sight. “What you are asking is impossible. If you want Deputy, and Law & Order, then you will not get Finance.”
