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WHILE the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday rejected Samata Party
president George Fernandes' proposal for formation of a
BJP-Congress coalition at the Centre, the regional compulsion of
majority of the United Front constituents of facing the Congress as
the main opponent in their respective states was the mainstay of
their unprecedented unity.
Even as the Political Affairs Committee of the Janata Dal on
Wednesday took the cue from the regional compulsions of the UF
partners to endorse the UF Steering Commmittee declaration of not
compromising with the Congress either on the question of change of
leadership or on account of latter's joining the coalition, the BJP
urged President Shankar Dayal Sharina to invite the BJP first, if
the Deve Gowda Government fell on the floor of the House.
Barring the Union Defence Minister and Samajwadi party president
Mulayam Singh Yadav no other leader of the UF constituents showed
any softening of attitude towards the Congress party at any stage
in the several rounds of UF steering committee meetings held in the
backdrop of the current crisis.
Even Mr Yadav, who at one point of time showed signs of some
inclining towards the Congress, eventually conceded that it may not
be in the larger interest of the Front to succumb to pressure
tactics of the Congress as that would lead to a political blunder
of a much higher magnitude.
The Janata Dal PAC while debating the prevailing crisis felt that
an impression should not go that the UF was shying away from a
mid-term polls maintained that no compromise could be made with the
Congress on the leadership issue.
It argued that since such an action would unnecessarily precipitate
instability and uncertainty, the party should unequivocally oppose
proposal to change the UF leadership and the Congress joining the
Front.
The JD PAC said that all the allegations made by Congress chief
Sitaram Kesri against Mr Deve Gowda could have easily been sorted
out through dialogue and there was no need for such an extreme
action like withdrawal of support. It also said that the UF had
mentally prepared to face the electorate and was confident that
even if the BJP or the Congress were invited by the President to
form their Government, in the event of the UF'S failure to prove
its majority on the floor of the Lok Sabha, the two would also fail
to muster a majority and the elections were therefore inevitable.
The high powered Janata Dal committee analysed that the dynamics of
the UF constituents was a major binding factor in keeping the Front
partners together as no UF partner would risk to take a chance of
being stamped as black sheep as no party could singlehandedly mop
up a majority for the Congress party which was nearly short by 129
members 'in the House of 545.
Meanwhile, the BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said that since the
BJP was the single largest party, the President ought to give the
Party the first chance to form the Government. Congress president
Sitaram Kesri should not be called first simply because he staked
the claim first, she said.
An emergency meeting of BJP leaders held at the residence of the
Leader of the Opposition Atal Behari Vajpayee, formally considered
Mr. Fernandes' proposal and rejected it outright.
"Though such a proposal was strong on logic of numbers, any
proposal that had the Congress element in it was totally
unacceptable to the BJP," said the BJP spokeperson.
The top BJP leaders rejected the proposal at the meeting held at Mr
Vaipayee' residence.
Ms Swaraj said that "there is not even the remotest possibility of
the BJP arriving at any kind of understanding with the Congress to
form a coalition." She said that allies of the party had also
outrightly rejected proposal.
The meeting, which reviewed the ongoing political situation, was
attended by party president L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, K L
Sharma, M L Khurana, Jaswant Singh, Pramod Mahajan, Anant Kumar,
Sunder Singh Bhandari and Ms Swaraj.
Ms Swaraj said that the party leaders had also consulted allies on
the proposal. Among those who were contacted were Punjab Chief
Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal and
Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.
"All the three leaders categoricauy rejected the idea by saying
that any political combination that included the Congress was not
welcome," she said, adding that the BJP's decision was subsequently
conveyed to Mr Fernandes over phone.
When asked whether the party would vote against the confidence
motion on April 11, Ms Swaraj said, "The BJP would play the role of
an Opposition party in the Lok Sabha when the motion is taken up in
the House."
She said that after the fall of the UF Government, the process for
the formation of a new Government would have to be started all over
again. MS Swaraj said, "Congress president Sitaram Kesri cannot be
called for the formation of the Government simply because he
happened to be the first to stake the claim."
According to her, since BJP was the single largest party, it had
the right to be called first.
She dismissed newspaper reports that Mr Kalyan Singh could be
denied the chance to become the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister when
the BJP's turn came, as totally baseless, mischievous and planted
by those inimical to BJP interests.
"There is no confusion in the BJP over the leadership issue, in
UP," she said, adding that Mr Singh would be the next CM after five
months.
She also urged the Election Commission inquire into the abysmal law
and order situation prevailing in Radhanpur, from where Gujarat
Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela is seeking to enter the
Assembly.
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