HVK Archives: BJP unfazed by Congress plan to form joint front for polls
BJP unfazed by Congress plan to form joint front for polls - The Observer
Observer Political Bureau
()
20 August 1997
Title: BJP unfazed by Congress plan to form joint front for polls
Author: Observer Political Bureau
Publication: The Observer
Date: August 20, 1997
Welcoming the emerging political realignments, the BJP on Tuesday said it
was unfazed over the reported 'grand design' of the Congress to form a
joint front comprising Janata Dal and regional outfits against the BJP.
"In fact, this is a positive development from our viewpoint," said BJP
Vice-President Krishanlal Sharma.
"It is good that battle lines are getting clearer for the snap mid-term
polls," he said at a press conference. The BJP will be formulating a joint
electoral strategy alongwith its allies Shiv Sena, Haryana Vikas Party,
Shiromani Akali Dal - for the mid term-polls, which the party expects any
time between November 97 and February 98.
"Things are moving towards another general election," Sharma said adding
that all the state units of the BJP have been directed to make preparations
for the same on a war footing. Corruption, Sharma said, would be the main
election plank of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies.
This issue, as highlighted by BJP President L K Advani on his country-wide
Swarn jayanti rath yatra, the BJP hopes would enable the party counter
other political parties together.
Giving reasons for the BJP's confidence of securing an absolute majority in
any general election held from now, Sharma said: "The stand of the Congress
and United Front constituents on the corruption issue have totally exposed
them."
People have already seen through the hypocrisy of these parties which only
pay lip service to corruption, the senior BJP leader said.
"Mere statements and urging people to observe satyagraha by Prime Minister
Inder Kumar Gujral will not carry any conviction with the people even as
his Government continues to protect the corrupt," Sharma said. For the
same reason, for siding with such parties and personalities, even former
Prime Minister and JD chief V P Singh too would lose his shine and his
utterances on corruption issue would lose all meaning, Sharma said.
"The country was with V P Singh soon after he broke away from the Congress
on the Bofors issue. But the same V P Singh chooses to maintain silence
over Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and the multi-crore fodder
scandal," he said.
The Congress was already discredited in the eyes of the people, especially
on the corruption issue. Hence if these parties gang up once again, it
would only benefit the BJP, Sharma said.
V P Singh's current penchant for fighting the BJP with the help of the
Congress was one thing the people would find very hard to accept, Sharma said.
"We would like the battle lines to be clearly drawn," Sharma said adding
that the process of the same was on. On the one side are the political
parties which want to resurrect the Congress, and on the other side is the
Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies.
The forces ranged opposite to the BJP are the ones that want to protect
corruption and the corrupt, the BJP Vice-President alleged.
On the BSP's no to a national-level alliance with the BJP, Krishanlal
Sharma said: "We do not rule out any possibility. It is for Kanshi Ram to
chose with whom he wants to go. But we are also prepared for a situation
where the BSP is not with us.
"Understanding is not one-way traffic. Kanshi Ram has lots of time to make
up his mind," he added.
Despite Kanshi Ram's critical statements regarding the BJP, the party
leadership was prepared to discount them as those aimed at his own rank and
file. The BJP Vice-President hoped that transfer of power in Uttar Pradesh,
slated for September 21, would be a smooth affair despite the Bahujan Samaj
Party supremo's new condition that the post of the Speaker of the State
Assembly should be given to his party.
"Clearly it was not part of the written power sharing agreement reached
between Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the one side and Kanshi Ram on the
other," Sharma said adding that the two senior party leaders would deal
with the situation appropriately.
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