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Placed in an "heads I win, tails you lose" situation, the BJP has
decided that it would continue to create conditions which would
ultimately lead to a snap poll. The party expects the mid-term
poll to be held in May as the President's election is due in June.
As part of its strategy the party has opposed the Congress claim to
form the government at the Centre. Par president L.K. Advani and
veteran leader A.B. Vajpayee met President S.D. Sharma and conveyed
to him that "the claim being made by the Congress was not based on
any firm commitments."
The leaders also stressed on the President that in case of Gowda
government losing the vote of confidence, the claim of other
parties should be ascertained before the Congress is invited to
form the government. The party has made it clear that on the basis
of it being the single largest group in the Lok Sabha the question
of care-taker prime minister, in case the House is dissolved,
should be taken after giving BJP a chance.
According to a senior party leader the President will have two
options - either to invite the BJP to form the government or opt
for a mid-term poll.
Top BJP leaders, who held a meeting on Monday to review the fast
changing political developments felt that keeping in mind the
advantageous position that the BJP was in, it should play the role
of main opposition party when the vote of confidence is taken up in
the Lok Sabha.
The BJP's allies have also decided to support the party in its
action. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ms Mayawati has conveyed to
the BJP that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MPs would be voting
against the government. The BSP has 11 MPs in the Lok Sabha. The
total strength of the BJP along with its allies in the House- is
203.
The party described as "ridiculous" the Congress president Sitaram
Kesri's claim for the prime ministership when the post was not
vacant. BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said, "If Mr Gowda had
resigned or had been removed or defeated on the floor of the house,
then the post of prime minister would be considered vacant."
The party said when the vote of confidence is taken up the "bluff"
of both Mr Gowda and Mr Kesri would be called on the floor of Lok
Sabha as neither had majority support.
A meeting of all BJP MPs has been convened on April 5 and 6 to
chalk out the party's strategy on the floor of the house.
The party has also decided that its central office bearers would
meet daily to take stock of the political situation.
Mr Advani, after a meeting with senior party functionaries, said
the Congress "will not be able to stop the process of
destabilisation, which it had started. The Congress will never
succeed in forming an alternate government," he added.
Mr Advani said Mr Kesri took the decision to withdraw support to
the UF government on the assumption that MPs do not want fresh
elections now.
Asked about TMC, whose leader G.K. Moopanar is being mentioned as a
possible prime ministerial candidate by a section of Congress
leadership, Mr Advani said, "TMC might shift its loyalty only if Mr
Kesri forms an alternative government."
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