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ALL eyes are on former prime minister V P Singh, West Bengal Chief
Minister Jyoti Basu and Communist Party of India (Marxist,) General
Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, with the crisis in the H D Deve
Gowda Government approaching its climax on April 11.
Surjeet is holding hectic parleys with various Congress leaders to
avoid Gowda's defeat in Parliament on April 11, when the confidence
motion will be taken up.
His persuasive skills and reconciliatory approach are a perfect
foil to the acidic tongue of the younger Communists, Sitaram
Yechury and Prakash Karat.
He keeps his cards close to his chest, not letting anybody have the
slightest liking of the discussions.
However, when it comes to calling a spade a spade, he does not
mince words.
In an exclusive interview to MID-DAY, Surjeet spoke about the
political crisis.
Will the United Front Government survive the confidence vote on
April 11?
Of course. Our Government will last beyond April 11, 1997.
What makes you so positive?
The political impasse will be broken, as no party except the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would like to face mid-term elections.
The Congress would be the last to think of polls. In case elections
are held in the near future, the Congress will have to project its
achievements to the people.
The party has not done anything worth mentioning in the last 10
months.
The United Front too does not want elections. So 1 hope there will
be an understanding between the Congress and the Front to let Gowda
run his Government.
There are clear signs that the Congress stand is softening.
Will Sitaram Kesri's diatribe against Gowda not aggravate the
situation?
Kesri's statement does aggravate relations between the two parties.
However, there is also a positive sign-the common Congressman is
not relishing Kesri's expletives against the prime minister.
The members have not come out their party President, but many of
them have talked to us about it.
What has made Kesri so angry?
The Congress is impatient, and its members immediately wanted to
share power with the coalition partners. The party has been in
power for 46 years and could not reconcile to the fact that it was
out of governance.
One can understand the withdrawal, but not the claim to form the
next government.
Kesri wanted to form a government by splitting the UF. It does not
show the wisdom of a statesman heading one of the country's biggest
parties.
Is the Congress responsible for the present political mess?
The Congress as well as the BJP are responsible for the political
imbroglio. The BJP too have become desperate after failing in its
maiden attempt at the Centre. It was trying to create fissures
between the coalition and the Congress. It is still trying to
create differences.
Its alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh and the
Akali Dal in Punjab is an example of its desperation for power.
Till some days ago, it was at loggerheads with the Dal.
Kesri has charged the UF with lacking cohesion and co-ordination.
Is it true?
This is not a revelation. The 13 parties were not united before
the general elections, a fact which was known to Kesri when they
formed the United Front.
If the Congress doubted co-ordination in the coalition, it should
not have extended support to the government.
Kesri blames the UF for not supporting a Mayawati-led government in
Uttar Pradesh. What do you feel?
The UF's stance has been proved right with Mayawati joining hands
with the BJP. We knew Mayawati was not consistent.
It is frivolous to blame the UF for not supporting the BSP.
The Congress President has also accused the UF Government of
neglecting defence and security matters. Do you admit these?
Why blame the UF Government for the defence issues?
We have not initiated any defence policies, and are continuing with
the policies of the previous Congress Government.
Rao's defence minister should be held guilty of not giving due
importance to defence issues.
Do you have a proposal for solving the political stalemate?
We want the Congress to continue support to the UF Government, with
a resolve for better co-ordination and consultation this time.
Is there a possibility of mid-mm polls?
I will talk to you about it on April 11.
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