The tiger, goat and bale of hay

One of the earliest puzzles from my childhood was how a boatman could transport a tiger, a goat and a bale of hay? It's odd that a person would be transporting a tiger and a goat by himself. It is a situation that Indian politics finds itself in today with the three large groups the UPA, the NDA and the motley crew of the Third front. However what is clearer is the fact that UPA and the NDA will not support each other to power and the Third front cannot get close to a majority by itself.
What is obvious for any political observer is the fact that despite the pronounced breakup between the UPA and the Third Front, it is likely that they would shed their past hatred in a heartbeat and get back into bed to taste sweet political power after the elections.
This naked ambition is evinced by Tamil Nadu State Congress president K.V. Thangkabalu who,

predicted that the Left’s resumption of ties with the Congress-led UPA would be based on the realisation that the Third Front was a pipedream.

And his opinion of the irony of central alliances and state battles would make anyone in the states cringe.

They have been good to us and we have been good to them in spite of being on opposite camps in a few States such as West Bengal and Kerala.

It appears that the pigeons have been released even before the battle has started. It will make for an interesting election season for the Indian Citizen and his/her sensibilities.