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Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
The BJP on Monday decided to sit in the opposition in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Punjab in deference to the verdict of the people ruling out any possibility of an understanding with the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh.
Now the ball is in Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's court. The SP-led group, which includes the Left parties, has 146 legislators.
Speaking to mediapersons after a meeting of the party's parliamentary board, BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy said, "The verdict of the people is that we sit in the opposition and we will honour it."
As far as UP is concerned, state party unit president Kalraj Mishra told rediff.com that the overwhelming majority in the party was against giving support to any party, including the BSP, to form the government in the state.
He ignored a question by this correspondent whether prime minister Vajpayee was personally in favour of preventing the SP from forming a government in UP and thus explore the possibility of cobbling up a government by supporting the BSP.
BSP vice-president Mayawati had sent feelers to the BJP about the possibility of an understanding as the two parties had enough legislators for a simple majority in the 403-member strong House.
Sources in the party said that though Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was keen on thwarting the Samajwadi Party's efforts to form a government in UP, he had to bow before the opinion of the majority.
BJP leaders and MPs are wary of joining hands with BSP leader Mayawati after having burnt their fingers badly on earlier occasions, they said.
However, there is a feeling among a section of the BJP leadership that the BJP parliamentary board's decision could be a strategic ploy to increase its bargaining power with the BSP, which would now be forced to approach the former with its own proposal for government formation in the state.
Mulayam has already contacted Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet in an apparent bid to make contact with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and enlist support for his bid to form a government.
However, the Congress leadership has so far kept its cards close to its chest.
"We are exploring various avenues to put in place a stable government in UP," pointed out SP general secretary Amar Singh.
Besides the prime minister, the hour-long meeting of the BJP parliamentary board was attended by Union Home Minister L K Advani, outgoing UP Chief Minister Rajnath Singh, UP BJP chief Kalraj Mishra, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan and former party president Kushabhau Thakre.
Earlier Reports: Mayawati demands her pound of flesh from BJP BJP Parliamentary board to decide on UP issue BJP wants Mayawati to make first move
