Disunited stands the UF
R R Nair in New Delhi
Though the United Front officially asserts that it will stand united, there are serious differences of opinion within the 13-party coalition.
The UF has made it clear it would not stake a claim to form a government at the Centre. UF spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said the Front had taken note of Thursday's Congress Working
Committee resolution, hinting that divisions in the Congress are formidable.
There were hardly any takers for Communist Party Of India-Marxist general secretary Harkishen Singh
Surjeet's suggestion that the UF should extend support to a Congress-led government.
Indications are that each UF constituent would follow its own political agenda during the vote of
confidence.
UF convener and Telugu Desam Party chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu could not give any firm commitment on whether his party would remain with the UF or stand neutral and thereby help the formation of a BJP
government.
High level sources in the UF confirmed that the Andhra Pradesh chief minister is keeping his options open. Friday's core committee meeting ended without taking any decision. Though the official version is that it met to take stock of the situation and that the committee would meet again on March 10 when a
concrete picture would emerge, it is quite clear that the constituents have varying views on the political situation.
Naidu is believed to be upset at Surjeet's statement. In fact, it is learnt that there was even criticism about the veteran Marxist for making such a "premature statement." The Congress is Naidu's arch rival back home, and so he cannot afford to prop up a Congress-led government at the
Centre.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's representative Industry Minister Murasoli Maran
was also opposed to
Surjeet's view of propping up a Congress-led government.
The man who desperately wants to stop the BJP from coming to power, Samajwadi party
president and Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav was isolated in the committee meeting with no one taking up his cause of supporting the Congress.
Communist Party of India national secretary D Raja told Rediff On The NeT,
"The UF is facing a tough
situation."
The CPI had a conflicting view on the issue as Agriculture Minister and senior party leader Chaturanan Mishra
had stated that the mandate seems to be in the BJP's favour.
Even with such differences, the UF wants to stay united because without the TDP and DMK the rest of coalition
could not go with the Congress as the numbers do
not add up to the required 273.
Moreover, the rest of the UF is certain that the TDP could not join a BJP ministry without antagonising its
huge Muslim vote bank.
Similarly, the BJP cannot afford to take the DMK into the ministry even if the Tamil party supports it because the BJP's ally Jayalalitha would not allow it at any cost.
So the rest of the UF feels the TDP and DMK will remain with the Front and there is much yet to be made with the grand alliance.
Meanwhile, the DMK may also follow the TDP's example and abstain from voting. In fact, the DMK's Arcot N Veeraswamy
had made a statement recently in Hyderabad that the party would move according to the TDP's thinking.
Primarily, the DMK's posture is an attempt to save the Tamil Nadu ministry. State Chief Minister and DMK supremo Muttuvel Karunanidhi has an excellent rapport with the BJP's prospective prime minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee and hence would not like to have a hostile central government.
Even in Friday's statement after the party officials meeting, the BJP has
mentioned the Coimbatore blasts and the "dastardly attempt on the life of Shri L K Advani."
The DMK could easily read the loaded warning in the statement. Interestingly, the only leader of the BJP's allies
mentioned by name is Jayalalitha.
So, to have a friendly central government, for which Karunanidhi has always strived, he would be
willing to abstain from voting.
Similarly, Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel's statement that he would give issue based support to a BJP
government is also an attempt to keep the central government happy. His statement has been brushed aside by
the core committee as a "statement in his individual capacity."
Elections '98
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