VP moots tactical electoral pact with Cong. - The Times of India

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Former prime minister V.P. Singh feels the central contradiction of secular
Indian politics today is that while there is need for a "tactical electoral
understanding" between the United Front (UF) and the Congress in some parts
of the country, this should not result in handing over the entire
"opposition space" to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Dismissing an all-India understanding between the UF and the Congress, he
suggests that for a future general election, there should be an
understanding in states where their interests do not clash, leaving the
question of government formation to the post-election tally.

This, he stresses, can only be arrived at with the consent of both the left
and the regional constituents of the UF. He also adds that a "positive
line" should be adopted by secular political forces to wean away the
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from the BJP.

Talking from his bed in Apollo Hospital, where he is undergoing dialysis,
Mr Singh says, "The focus (in our debates) is on who should occupy the
ruling political space. What about the opposition space? Should it be
occupied by communal forces? Should it also not be secular? For
discontent is the fuel for change and it flows to the opposition space."

Elaborating, Mr Singh says, "If we have a bipolar political model of one
secular formation and one communal formation, the power pendulum will swing
between the two, with alternate spells of secular and communal governments.
But if the pendulum is to swing between two secular formations,
theoretically you need two secular formations in the political arena - one
to occupy the ruling space and the other the opposition space. These two
secular formations must have somewhat different mass bases and political
agendas. If they do not have separate identities, the model collapses."

Referring to the current political situation, the former prime minister
says, "Luckily, the two secular formations - the UF and the Congress - have
separate identities. So while they must maintain a strategic distance from
each other, they should also come to some tactical electoral understanding
in areas where such an understanding could contain communal forces."

To contain the BJP, Mr Singh stresses both the UF and the Congress should
be in good shape, with a "strategic understanding not to attempt to
disintegrate each other's parties. At the same time, they should not
coalesce."

The former PM underlines the fact that an all-India level understanding is
"not possible since the left and the regional parties have genuine
difficulties with the Congress as the latter is not only the main rival in
their respective states but has also not given up its aspirations to
replace the former in their states."

Therefore, Mr Singh says, an understanding can be reached only in the Hindi
heartland and the west "where the main strength of the BJP lies and from
where the bulk of its MPs comes." But equally, he stresses, the unity of
the UF must be maintained and any understanding must have the approval of
the left and the regional parties."

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