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Barnala says poll tieup with BJP likely despite pullout threat

Even as the Akali Dal has threatened to pull out of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre over the Udham Singh Nagar issue, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Surjeet Singh Barnala says his party is likely to have a poll arrangement with the BJP for the November 25 assembly election in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

''Our going together in the polls will be very good for both the parties, for the BJP as well as the Akali Dal,'' Barnala said in a television interview.

The Akali Dal would meet later this week to decide on having a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP in Delhi, he said.

Barnala, however, admitted that his party was having problems with the BJP on including Udham Singh Nagar district in the proposed Uttarakhand state and Article 356 of the Constitution.

Asked whether his party would withdraw support, Barnala said, ''I can't say. There will have to be a meeting of the party at some point of time and a decision will have to be taken.''

He said the problem had cropped up after Udham Singh Nagar district was carved out of Nainital. Then, people started saying ''we don't want to go to Uttaranchal".

''Nobody should be tagged to any particular state against one's will. States are formed, in fact, for the convenience of the people. Why do it if it is not convenient for the population of that area,'' the Akali Dal leader asked.

Though his party was for the abrogation of Article 356, Barnala would not take a stand on whether Bihar was a fit case for central rule or state governor Sunder Singh Bhandari be recalled.

''No, I don't go into that. I don't go into that because our stand is otherwise clear,'' he said.

He, however, admitted that the Bihar administration had collapsed partly.

''Part of the administration (in Bihar) might have collapsed, the court orders may not have been complied with. There might be so many things, but the question is that can this be called a failure of the Constitution totally,'' he asked.

Barnala said the Bihar question was still open.

The Cabinet would have to decide on the issue of returning to the President its recommendation for imposition of central rule in Bihar, he said.

He, however, did not see anything unusual in the BJP leaders' criticism of the President.

''The President has to function within the Constitution. Other parties also have the right to say something, express their views on that, and that is what the BJP has done.''

UNI

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