HVK Archives: BJP wants to rope in Mamata
BJP wants to rope in Mamata - The observer
Observer
()
December 10, 1997
Title: BJP wants to rope in Mamata
Author: Observer
Publication: The observer
Date: December 10, 1997
The BJP is baking on the disgruntled elements in the Congress
and the Janata Dal to make a meaningful entry into West Bengal
and Orissa respectively. While Sushma Swaraj has been deputed
by the Central leadership to rope in firebrand dissenting Congress
leader Mamata Banerjee, local leaders from Orissa unit have
been asked to tap Biju Patnaik's son Nabin Patnaik, Dilip Roy
among other JD leaders.
The BJP, which has chosen to hold its crucial three-day national
executive meeting in Bubaneshwar, is trying hard to lure the junior
Patnaik as it would be a prize election eve catch. According to
sources, negotiations are at an advanced stage and they maintain
that the party does not rule out the possibility of a group of JD
leaders joining the BJP during the party's National Executive
meeting.
BJP vice president Krishanlal Sharma confirmed that contacts with
the two leaders were being maintained. He also did not rule out
the possibility of a split in the Orissa unit of the Janata Dal, which
has more or less been orphaned by the death of Biju Patnaik.
Krishanlal Sharma, however, refused to be drawn into specifics of
the operation to woo leaders of other political parties into the BJP
fold. Another BJP functionary, general secretary M Venkaiah
Naidu is of the opinion that leaders from other political parties
would join within a month and new alignments would crystalise by
January 5.
The cut-off date mentioned by Naidu is significant in that the
Nirvachan Sadan is expected to issue official notification of the
general elections on or after that date. The commission has
already announced that it will notify the elections after the revision
of electoral rolls is completed on January 5.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in the union capital on
Tuesday, Krishanlal Sharma confirmed that talks were on to have
an electoral understanding with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamul
Congress. But he ruled out any understanding with the youthful
Congress leader until she breaks away from the parent Indian
National Congress headed by Sitaram Kesri.
The BJP leadership attaches reads political significance to
Banerjee's remarks that the BJP was not untouchable. Egged on
by her remarks, the BJP central leadership gave permission to its
West Bengal unit to join the Congress leader's proposed "Save
Bengal Front". The Front is seen as a forum to bring together all
forces opposed to the Marxist regime of Jyoti Basu, which has
been ruling the state for the past two decades.
BJP secretary Tapan Sikdar in Calcutta reasoned that there was a
strong necessity to constitute an anti-CPI(M) anti-Congress front in
the State. He told a press conference that his party wanted to "sit
with Mamata Banerjee to discuss the modalities of launching the
Front."
Dropping adequate hints that Mamata already had talks with
some central BJP leaders like Promod Mahajan and Sushma
Swaraj in Delhi, Sikdar said that "we should not try to hide
anything".
Thanking Mamata for her comments that "BJP is not an
untouchable party", he said that she should formally come forward
and take the initiative to give the proposed Front a formal shape.
Asked if the BJP was ready to accept "Trinamul Congress' as a
major partner, Sikdar said that his party did not give much
importance to this factor. It could always be discussed. "Some
will get more seats, some will get less", he said.
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