UPA will form next govt at Centre with regional allies: Iyer

The Congress-led UPA will form the next government at the Centre with the help of regional parties, which will play a pivotal role in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, former Union Minister Mani Shankar Iyer said here today.
"Though the Congress may not emerge as the largest party going by the present survey, but the alliance led by the party will succeed in retaining the power at the Centre for the second consecutive time," Iyer told reporters here today.
Mocking poll surveys, he said you people had done the same thing in 2004 and 2009 general elections but the outcome was entirely different, he said adding it all depends on allies.

Iyer also questioned the presence of BJP in states like Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.
"BJP is no where in the picture in these states," he said. He however, admitted there will be straight fight in Delhi between the Congress and BJP.
Iyer described the BJP-led Opposition as the "most incompetent one" which could not take issues to a logical end and instead created chaos in parliament.

He also called BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as an "evening breeze" which will pass by.
Even if BJP comes to power through NDA, Modi will not become the Prime Minister since many within the party are against him, he said.

Iyer was also confident that scams will not affect the prospects of the Congress and the UPA in the 2014 polls.