Bench strength

Who will win the next general elections? No one's sure, not even the ruling parties, it seems. That became clear recently in Parliament, when Yashwant Sinha, senior BJP leader and former finance minister under the National Democratic Alliance, was seen approaching the Treasury benches to exchange pleasantries with ruling party MPs. After a bit, one of the ministers jokingly urged Sinha to change sides and join them on the benches he once occupied as a senior minister. To which another prominent United Progressive Alliance leader dryly commented that Sinha could well be taking his rightful place on the Treasury benches sooner rather than later.