BJP takes a stand - The Hindustan Times
Editorial
()
8 April 1997
Title : BJP takes a stand
Author : Editorial
Publication : The Hindustan Times
Date : April 8, 1997
It is always a matter of satisfaction when an adversary gets into
trouble, but if the BJP nevertheless took its time to decide on how to
respond to the current political crisis, it is presumably because the
party was taken by surprise, like everyone else, by the sudden
withdrawal of Congress support to the United Front. In a surcharged
political atmosphere, the BJP's delay in making up its mind naturally
led to all kinds of rumours, including the possibility of the party
abstaining from the confidence vote on April 11 to bail out the UF
regime. The reason for this gesture was supposed to be not any spec
affection for the UF but a disinclination to face the polo immediately.
At its national executive meeting, however, the BJP has done well to
set all speculation at rest by declaring theft it will vote against the
Government next Friday. However, this decision does not remove all
imponderables. For instance, the BJP has been frank enough to admit that
it will attempt to form the next Government, if called upon to do so,
only if the party is sure of majority support. At the moment, this does
not seem to be the case. Clearly, the situation has not changed since
the 13 days last May when Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee was Prime Minister.
After that sobering experience, the BJP clearly does not want to take
another shot at forming the Government without being sure of success
beforehand. The party must have also considered the adverse impact on
its election prospects of a second failure to win friends and influence
people.
Its focus, therefore, is very much on a mid-term poll, as was made clear
by Mr L. K. Advani's speech last Saturday where he outlined the party's
plan to seek allies in the eastern and southern regions. He clarified
that in making this attempt, the BJP would take into account the
regional pride, aspirations and concerns in the spheres of language,
culture and socio-economic development "without succumbing to the
pressures of regional chauvinism." In other words, the BJP is trying to
distance itself from its Hindi-Hindu image and favouring a federal
approach rather than emphasise the unitary concept with which it is
generally associated. Its current satisfactory tie-ups with the Akalis,
the Samta Party, the BSP, the Haryana Vikas Party and the Shiv Sena must
have encouraged it to consider spreading its net wide. For the present,
however, it has to tread carefully for there is nothing to indicate that
the elections will produce a dramatic swing for or against any party or
group, although the BJP is in a better position than its opponents to
play the stability card. It is also seemingly better prepared than the
others to face the polls although this does not mean that it would not
have liked a longer waiting period.
