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TDP may get special invitee status

Rajesh Ramachandran in New Delhi

The first meeting of the coordination committee of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition at the prime minister's official home on Saturday decided to keep open the option of bringing post-poll allies into the coordination committee.

The composition and structure of the 12-party coalition's coordination committee has been finalised, and Prime Minister A B Vajpayee has been unanimously asked to continue as its chairman. Planning Commission deputy chairman Jaswant Singh will continue to be its convener.

In this context, Jaswant Singh announced that "where applicable, there would be special invitees to the co-ordination committee in future."

But he evaded the question whether the Telugu Desam Party would join the coalition, saying the decision to expand the coordination committee has been left to Vajpayee.

The TDP had supported the government during its motion of confidence; earlier, it got the speaker's post for its nominee, G M C Balayogi.

However, despite today's disclaimer, speculation is rife that the TDP will join the ruling coalition, and would be compensated with Cabinet berths for its support.

The communication ministry, vacated by former Congressman Buta Singh, is likely to go to the TDP if it decides to formalise its alliance with the BJP.

It is also learned that the TDP would not like to take a plunge right away, and hence a mechanism would be worked out whereby it would be within the coalition but would have a separate status.

The 'special invitee' proposition seems to be a viable option for the TDP to get on to the saffron bandwagon, but remain special.

"The situation is pregnant with possibilities," is all Jaswant Singh would say. He also ruled out any demand from allies for further expansion of the Vajpayee Cabinet.

According to Jaswant Singh, there was no discussion on Sino-Indian relations or the raging controversy stoked by Defence Minister George Fernandes's recent statements.

"The controversy is only in the newspapers. The government's stand has made clear by the spokesperson." But Jaswant Singh didn't clarify who -- Pramod Mahajan, the PM's political advisor, or the external affairs ministry spokesperson -- he was referring to.

Mahajan has supported Fernandes whereas the MEA tried to downplay the issue.

The coordination committee also took stock of the law and order situation in Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Tamil Nadu. But apparently, no demand for the dismissal of state governments cropped up at the meeting.

"Various members from these states reported on the law and order situation. Mamta Banerjee pointed out the killings in Bengal and those from Tamil Nadu pointed out that the state government has proclaimed a red alert there. The PM and the home minister listened to it and expressed deep concern. But no demand for the dismissal of any government has come up," said Jaswant Singh.

The BJP assuaged its allies's sentiments by assuring that the ordinance on the power regulatory authorities would not take away the subsidies given to the farmers by way of cheap or even free electricity. The subsidy can continue if the state governments are ready to the compensate the state electricity boards, it was decided.

The issue was raised by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary J Jayalalitha and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, at the meeting.

The coordination committee has also constituted a sub-committee to study the situation in those states where poverty levels have deteriorated since Independence, and also to identify such districts which are chronically backward. The five-member committee comprises Steel Minister Naveen Patnaik, Trinamul Congress president Mamta Banerjee, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and Pattali Makkal Katchi leader Dr S Ramadoss.

Jaswant Singh would be the convener of the sub-committee as well which has been asked to present an action plan to the coordination committee when it meets again on June 27.

The committee also reviewed the functioning of a number of task forces including the one presided by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekawat to study the devolution of greater political and economical powers to the states. Economist Dr Amrish Bagchi and Syed Raza Hashmi, member-secretary, Planning Commission, are members of this task force.

The agenda of today's meeting, incidentally, was to review the implementation of the coalition's national agenda.

The PM asserted the need to make India an infotech power, to improve food security, tackle unemployment, improve physical and social infrastructure.

Today's meeting, which lasted three hours, was attended by all the 18 invitees, including Jayalalitha and Lok Shakti leader Ramakrishna Hegde. The latter returned to New Delhi this morning from Cairo after attending the G-15 meeting there.

Additional reportage: UNI

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