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IN a major development, the Left parties on Thursday announced that
there was no question of passing the Finance Bill, if placed in
Parliament, unless a new Government was elected or the United Front
Government won the vote of confidence. However, they were in
favour of passing a vote-on-account to avoid any "constitutional
crisis."
"How can the budget be placed before the House by a defeated
Government. It will be a mockery of parliamentary procedures and
ethics. We will be ridiculed by the people and the media. Anyway,
even if the budget is passed, who will implement it, " Communist
Party of India-Marxist general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet
asserted.
"The passing of the budget tantamounts to a vote of confidence in
the UF Government. But, if the UF Government itself has to face a
vote of confidence on April 11, how will it be possible also to
simultaneously pass the budget, "Mr Surjeet pointed out.
However, the CPM was in Favour of a vote-on-account to avoid any
constitutional crisis, Mr Surjeet said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, the major Opposition party in the Lok
Sabha, is also in favour of a vote-on-account to tide over the
crisis, instead of passing the budget in a hurry.
The Congress, however, without defining a specific line, has made
it clear that it will extend all help to the Deve Gowda-led
minority Government for passing the Finance Bill.
Communist Party of India general secretary A B Bardhan said that
"the budget is not the important thing now. Let there be a
vote-on-account. Other wise, how can the next Government follow
the budget prescribed by an earlier dispensation."
Though, the CPM's stated position on the Finance Bill is that it
will be "morally, ethically and constitutionally flawed" to rush
through the bills, there seems to be a concrete strategy behind the
stance taken by the party.
A senior CPM leader said that "we do not want the Congress'
gameplan of rushing through the Finance Bill, in a bid to please
the industrial circles, especially the big business, to succeed."
"The Congress is under pressure as the big business in the country
is the main source of funding for the party, especially at the time
of elections," the CPM leader said.
"The Congress is keen to ensure that it is not seen as
anti-industry and that is why it is floating the idea that if the
budget is not passed then it will do irreparable damage to the
economy," he said.
"We have seen through the Congress' manoeuvrings and will not allow
it to make a mockery of the system," he added.
However, when asked if the 'opportunity' provided by the budget had
afforded a chance to the CPM to thwart the budget, provisions of
which it had opposed, the CPM leader was noncommittal, saying "I
will not like to comment on that. It was the Congress which
decided to withdraw support in its own wisdom. Why should the
United Front make it any easier for them," he asked.
Meanwhile, Mr Surjeet told newsmen after the conclusion of the
party's two-day politburo meeting on Thursday, that it endorsed the
three-point agenda of the UF steering committee. 'The agenda
includes unity of the United Front, no change in the leadership of
the UF Government and no support to a Congress-led Government or
Congress' participation in the UF Government.
"There is no going back on these conditions. Let the Congress stew
in its own juice. They made a mistake, it is for them to rectify
it," a CPM politburo member said. "We want a complete reversion to
the formation that obtained on March 30, the day the Congress
decided to run amok," he added.
During the briefing, the CPI general secretary criticised the
Congress for taking up the leadership issue which, he said, could
not be entertained. "We can discuss policy differences as this
Government is banking and surviving on the Congress' support. But,
it cannot entertain any demand for change of leadership. It is the
job of the Front and its constituents to decide who should lead the
Front, not the job of the supporting party," he added.
The Congress had given its support to the UF on May 12 last year
because it wanted to ward off the danger of communalism. This
danger still existed and was being aggravated by the recent
"unprincipled alliance" of the BJP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Surjeet
said.
He was, however, hopeful that a solution to the political crisis
would emerge by early next week, as he saw a perceptible softening
of the Congress' stand in the last few days.
Mr Surjeet said there were enough indications that there was
serious rethinking within the Congress and "a realisation that they
have taken a hasty step and a way out has to be found. "
"The Congress has climbed down from its decision to withdraw
support, to staking a claim and now to a change in the UF
leadership," Mr Surjeet said.
"That is why I say something can be worked out. I am confident
something will emerge by April 10, which will be based on political
reality and the need to fight the danger of communalism," he said.
"The Congress monopoly of power has gone. The UF constituents rule
in 10 States whereas the Congress is in power in four. Why is a
coalition necessary in this scenario," Mr Surjeet asked.
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