HVK Archives: Inside moves
Inside moves - The Times of India
Editorial
()
16 April 1997
Title : Inside moves
Author : Editorial
Publication : The Times of India
Date : April 16, 1997
The self-congratulatory tone of the Congress Working Committee
resolution reflects the party's sense of triumph at Mr Sitaram Kesri's
gamble having paid off to the point where it can dictate terms to the
United Front. This has had the effect of silencing the dissidents led
by Mr Sharad Pawar and aroused the Congressman's instinct for
self-preservation to close ranks behind the party president. The
dissidents, who had hoped to take Mr Kesri to task at the CWC meeting,
have been forced to fall in line thereby strengthening the party's
bargaining power vis-a-vis the United Front. The advantage to the
Congress was in no small measure made possible by the vacillations of
the UF on the leadership question. Despite the criticism of Mr Kesri
for precipitating a crisis which brought governance to a standstill, in
the eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with the Congress the UF blinked
first: it had to reverse its oft-repeated stand that there would be no
change in its leadership. The UF has climbed down and agreed to a
change of leadership, and Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has reportedly
been prevailed upon to give up his post, despite the reservations of the
Left parties, which are now being edged to the sidelines. The Congress
conditions for reviving support to the UF for government formation have
been all but met. What remains to be done, from the Congress viewpoint,
is for the UF to make known its successor to Mr Gowda.
A lot will now depend on who finally emerges as the UF's choice for
Prime Minister. The frontrunners are External Affairs Minister 1 K
Gujral and Tamil Maanila Congress chief G K Moopanar. Mr Gujral's
candidature is canvassed on the grounds of his ministerial record and
his secular credentials, the latter being required as a foil to the BJP
in the North. However, he lacks the organisational base which gives Mr
Moopanar an edge in leading a multi-party coalition. Mr Moopanar is
preferred for his political management skills, which the UF is
admittedly in need of, and his capability to build bridges with the
Congress. The relative merits of these two apart, the leadership issue
is complicated with the Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav throwing
his hat in the ring. Mr Yadav is favoured by those who argue that the
rationale for his being chosen president of the Janata Dal is equally
valid for his elevation to the post of Prime Minister - the need for a
bulwark against the BJP in the Hindi heartland. Unlike Mr Gujral, Mr
Yadav has a mass following. While it could be any one's game, it is
essential that the choice results from a thoroughly deliberated
consensus; there should be no destabilising second thoughts later. All
concerned need to ensure that they are equally firm in their commitment
to whatever arrangement is evolved. The country can ill-afford more
shenanigans and the need of the hour is to ensure conditions for the
stability of a future government. In fact, in the interests of
stability, the Congress should seriously reconsider its position and
take the critical step from support to participation in the government.
This would increase its stakes in the new ministry, without compromise
of principle.
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