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Former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh may be confined to a
hospital bed, awaiting a kidney transplant, but his physical
condition has far from affected his political acumen. Several
leaders are queueing up to meat him at his hospital room and his
telephone lines remain choked with calls from leaders of every hue
who want to know the views of the ace coalition cobbler on ending
the political impasse.
Looking pale and weakened, his hand and neck bandaged after minor
surgeries, Singh spent 30 minutes with RITU SARIN talking about the
possibilities at hand. Excerpts from an interview with Singh, who
is actively remote-controlling the developments in the Capital.
Do you think the reasons for the Congress President to withdraw
support to the United Front Government were serious enough? .
Whatever be the reasons, what is more important is to get out of
this. I am applying myself to that. I want a solution, comments on
Kesri and what his motives were will not help the solution. If the
Congress says they want a dialogue, we should trust them and get on
with the dialogue.
Do you agree that the Government was indulging in
'anti-Congressism' as Kesri has said?
No, there was nothing like that. But the reasons are part of the
diagnosis. The blood report, the X-ray report and the diagnosis
are, not important. The treatment is. The problem is that the
Congress has withdrawn support and has staked a claim and on the
other side the UF has remained united and it will remain united.
The second point is that a leadership change is not acceptable to
the UF.
Various names are floating as possible alternatives to Prime
Minister Gowda...
If one political entity accepts the dictates of another political
entity regarding its chief, its identity is gone. And the Prime
Minister will have double masters-the Congress and the UF. Now, in
the Steering Committee, each constituent of the UF has expressed
against a change of leadership. So, politically (a change of Prime
Minister) has become a non-starter. There was a running arrangement
and the compulsions that brought the two together still remain the
same. No party had the numbers to form Government and the Congress
at that juncture did not want to go to elections and nor is it in
the interest of the Congress to go for elections today.
Who will gain if the country goes to polls now?
The Congress will be hurt the most-and certainly more than the UF.
Tell me, how will the UF be destabilised with this? Even if the
Centre goes, the UF has got 10 Chief Ministers. We will fight it
back. So it is not a question of face-saving at all. What will be
the face if the BJP sits here in the Government? Nobody will have
any face.
The question now is not of face-saving but of life-saving now. The
life of both patries has to be saved. Aur iske liye yeh zaroori
nahin ke hum bahadur hoyein, hum budhimaan hoyen. ( For this it is
essential that we be sensible, not brave.)
So, what is your solution? How can the impasse be ended?
They are all trying. But there was absolution. It was a running
solution and that should be strengthened. We had come to a
solution after June and this itself should be improved. There can
be a committee, there can he discussions, there can be
institutionalisation of policies, there can be specific moves for
interaction. If you do not want to communicate a telephone will
not talk.
Is the Congress leadership open to what you are calling the
institutionalising of relations?
Let us see. There is a lot of interaction going on at various
levels.
Who are the senior Congress leaders you are in touch with?
Abhi to, every one seems to be in touch with everyone. I am also in
touch with many leaders in the Congress. Another solution being
discussed is that of power-sharing under the leadership of the UF.
The UF will not be disturbed because they have the numbers. The
Janata Dal, by and large, is not averse to the idea of sharing
power (with the Congress). But the regional parties are not
agreeable.
Which ones?
The TDP, AGP and DMK, They are not willing. I personally do not
mind this, but the solution should not come without the consent of
the regional parties. The regional parties are the Front and what
is the solution if you are rejecting the core of the Front? But
let us see, the Left parties have given some views on the question
of power-sharing and we have to wait for the reaction of the
regional parties.
There is one more plan I have been advocating. That at the state
level, an electoral adjustment be made in the Hindi-speaking belt
between the Congress and units of the UF like the Janata Dal. Only
for electoral purposes and not at the national level, so that the
BJP can be contained in these areas. Since it is a state-level
arrangement, the regional parties are not committed.
Is any party keen on elections?
Nobody wants elections, but if the Congress forces it, the National
Front is ready for it. If elections are held, both the BJP and the
National Front will gain at the expense of the Congress. The
Congress will get decimated in every state. But I think within the
next few days this fact will dawn on Congress MPs. Now, they have
four more years to run. And I do not think their prospects will be
any brighter if elections are held. So, why wouldn't they assert
themselves? I do not envisage a split but I think there can be a
strong pressure from Congress MP's to avoid elections.
Is the Congress leadership running seared of the corruption cases
and charges levelled against them?
Most of the cases and files were prepared during the tenure of
Narasimha Rao. The files are being called by the courts
themselves. So why blame the Government?
You have been saying that India will be run by coalition
governments for a long time to come. Do you still maintain that
despite this reversal?
I still maintain that. For, what is Uttar Pradesh? What is Badal
doing in Punjab'? What is happening in Harayana? I think the
Congress is also looking for regional parties now, even in this
project. What I had said earlier has now got a solid foundation in
the Indian political scene. Sometimes, I am laughed at, but my
greatest vindication has come. The BJP threw me out from the prime
minister's post on the Mandal issue, and today it has to go about
with Mayawati on its head! (laughs)
Mayawati is the crown and the BJP her courtiers. Seven years back,
I was not tolerated and see how the BJP is doing prayashchit
(repentance) now. (holding his ears) Kaan pakar ke prayashchit
karna BJP ka.
People are comparing the predicament of Deve Gowda Government to
yours since you also had to face a vote of confidence in 1990?
I had told the President that I wanted to resign but all the
leaders of supporting parties said that the issue (the
Mandir-Masjid issue) then was one of historical importance.
Everyone said posterity should know who voted for whom. Now there
is record for all times to come and if I had resigned there would
have been no record. This time too, the Prime Minister, if need
arises, should go to Parliament. But let us see what happens
before that.
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