An assertive Prime Minister upon his return from Durban not only rejected any suggestions of general elections earlier than those scheduled March 2014, but also, under fire over a sluggish pace of economic recovery and a reform process often held hostage to coalition politics, said the government - now minus the DMK - would have to take into account a lack of a majority in Parliament to push through some proposals and focus on those which enjoy a broad consensus. But, given the latest noises from the Samajwadi Party chief in Uttar Pradesh and the government's urgent attempt to mend fences, as seen today with the visit of Finance Minister P Chidambaram to Lucknow, is the confidence in goodwill from allies justified? Can the government's damage control plan work for 2014? We discuss on the 9 o'clock news.
