ON the Indian political scenario it is difficult to discern who is a friend, who is a foe, for how and where? The leaders of most politically conscious and volatile state, Bihar, are a living example. If they are foes in Bihar they are friends outside, if they are foes outside, they are friends in Bihar, who is exactly where? That nobody knows, and if somebody knows then nobody tells. Sharad Yadav, Ramvilas Paswan, Sharad Pawar and Laloo Yadav, who have sometimes common enemies and sometimes common friends outside Bihar, have different friends and foes inside Bihar. Inside it is Laloo Yadav depending upon whether you are a woman hater or secular or worshipper of goddesses of power. At the national level the greatest Friend Number One and Foe Number One is Atal Behari Vajpayee, depending upon whether you want to sneak into the NDA ministerial bus driven by him or want to reserve a seat in the other bus driven by Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh, Mayawati or the rash driver Harkishen Singh Surjeet. And as the game of pre-poll dice goes on in Patliputra and Hastinapura of today, the wise Bihisham Pitamah of the 21st century, Father George Fernandes, coolly watches the throw of dice. He seems to know that he who takes the first train is likely to be the victim of derailment early. The train to Patna is not exactly like the train to New Delhi.

NEVER mind who rules Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar or Tamil Nadu, the great Yadav warrior of Uttar Pradesh continues to be at war with women in politics whatever their party, flag, costume, colour and complexion. The battle he began with Mayawati in his own territory continues. The "proxy war" against Congress President Sonia Gandhi, BSP chief Mayawati continues. And he is also not in good terms with Sheila Dishkit, Vasundhara Raje, Uma Bharati, Rabri Devi and Jayalalithaa. It does not bother him whether the women in politics are emerging publicly wearing the chief ministerial crown one after another in state after state. He is determined not allow the "Nari Raj" in Uttar Pradesh ever again and oppose the passage of the women’s Empowerment legislation in parliament for as long as he can. Even at home he may be at peace with Kalyan Singh at the moment but would not concede any respect or concession to his protégé Kusum Rai. He does not seem to relish the copy of the "parliamentary women" and " woman ministers" at Centre. Others may make an issue of Sonia’s foreign origin to reap political benefits but Mulayam will always make an issue of the more basic feminine origin of women in politics. But can he really establish the MULAYAM rajya version of women in politics. But can no Sita in the act at all? Only Mulayam can answer.

Madan Lal Khurana, former Chief Minister of Delhi , a BJP leader of national stature, Member of Lok Sabha, who led the BJP in Delhi Assembly election, winning the Moti Nagar Assembly seat for himself but losing Delhi for his party to Sheila Dikshit of the Congress Party, had always declared himself to be devoted pujari of the BJP temple. Ultimately, defeated and depressed he reclined himself to taking up the role of an idol in the gubernatorial priest. What was the cause of his unwilling transformation? He said it was media which defeated him in Delhi and the media surveys which speculated the defeat of his party. When asked by the media what about the surveys which had depicted the victory of Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, his answer was a stony silence. The Thakur who ruled Rajasthan once and would have liked to rule it once again, like a Rajput king, was also compelled to don the role of sanctity and moved to exalted idolship in New Delhi. Strange how politics fossilised the priests of power into idols of glory.

THE old saying goes that the tiger never changes its stripes. But does not seem to apply to the present day tigers of the Shiv Sena type. As long Sharad Pawar was trying to gain favour with the NDA and was being encouraged by his close contacts and intermediaries with the BJP, the chief tiger of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, was furious with his stripes burning bright in unconcealed anger. That was the reason when friendly go-between made proposition that diverse Maharashtrian patriots, including Sharad Pawar and his Nationalist Congress Party, make peace and a common front, the King of tigers immediately placed the condition that it could be done only if Chaggan Bhujbal, known as the chief hatchet man of Bal Thackeray, now in disgrace and distress, was abandoned by Mahajan and brother-in-law Munde. The credit cannot be cashed now by the Mahajan-Munde combine . But Thackeray knows Pawar better and perhaps has changed his tiger stripes in the game of "Maratha Diplomacy". But the surprise beneficiary of the episode is Congress. It knows now that Sharad Pawar is a risky bet and cannot be relied upon as an ally inside or outside Maharashtra. Will the Congress learn a lesson?