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In a new twist to the ongoing political drama, the national
executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today decided to pull
down the United Front Government led by H D Deve Gowda and try it
won hand at forming the government.
It has authorised parliamentary party leader A B Vajpayee to chalk
out its strategy depending on the situation on April 11.
Briefing newspersons at the conclusion of the two-day executive
here, party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj asserted that the party's
intention was to vote out the government.
The party also indicated its willingness to try and form an
alternative government if the present one goes out of office on
April 11.
In the first official declaration of its interest in conducting
another exploratory exercise for a BJP-led coalition at the Centre,
Sushma Swaraj told correspondents, "If we can form a stable
government, we will do it."
She clarified, however, that the BJP would stake its claim only
after talking to potential allies and ensuring that it had the
necessary support.
She also emphasised that the exercise would begin only if the Deve
Gowda Government fell on April 11. "There is no vacancy right now.
It is ridiculous to talk of staking a claim at this point," she
stressed.
The BJP's stand today is in sharp contrast to the strong inaugural
speech made by party president L K Advani to his National Executive
yesterday morning in which he exhorted workers to prepare for
elections.
After a day-and-a-half of discussions by the working committee,
party opinion seems to have shifted in favour of trying for a
government in this Lok Sabha rather than pushing for polls. At the
same time, if the exercise fails to throw up a coalition on
mutually acceptable terms, the BJP would prefer to face a mid-term
election than form a weak government.
The desire to keep the option of government formation open is
behind the national executive's unusual decision not to come out
with a political resolution as is the convention.
Interestingly, a resolution was drafted, reiterating Advani's call
for election preparations.
However, it became a bone of contention between the "hardliners"
who feel that the BJP's interest lies in a snap poll and the
"softliners" who want the party to try again for a tie-up with
regional groups. Ultimately, the softliners seem to have carried
the day and the resolution was shelved.
Despite the brave talk of elections and the boost to its fortunes
from its performance in the recent rounds of bye-elections, the
majority opinion in the BJP is clearly against a mid-term poll.
Although the party feels it will increase its seats in the Lok
Sabha, it knows that it is still not in a position to get a
majority on its own.
Thus, even after going through the tortuous and expensive business
of fighting an election, the BJP will have to approach regional
parties to form a coalition government. Then why not now?
Advani and Vajpayee have both pointed out that the anti-BJPism
which led to the formation of the present government is dead. The
issue is no longer secularism versus communalism.
It is now a question of finding the right combination of parties to
form a government which can last.
BJP leaders feel that with a nucleus of 161 MPs in the Lok Sabha
and 43 MPs belonging to known alliance partners with whom they are
in government in four states, they are in a better position to
provide stability.
In addition, the regional parties whom the BJP is targeting as
possible allies are not electoral competitors.
For the TDP, the DMK and the AGP, the Congress is a greater threat
than the BJP. Senior leaders are thus optimistic that when the Deve
Gowda experiment finally collapses on April 11, these parties will
look at the BJP with different eyes.
In his closing speech to the national executive this morning,
Vajpayee threw enough hints about the BJP's hopes for a realignment
after the Deve Gowda government goes.
He said that the situation will take shape only after the
confidence vote on April 11 when the constituents of the United
Front will look at alternative options if the government is voted
out.
Party sources disclosed that they have been receiving signals from
the regional parties that the BJP should keep an open mind in the
present situation and wait till April 11.
Today's announcement by Swaraj at the end of the national executive
meet is being seen as a formal response to these signals, thus
keeping the suspense alive on whether or not the country is heading
for a mid-term poll.
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