US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Samata ready to sever ties with BJP

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Samata Party general secretary Digvijay Singh today claimed that his party would "fight to the finish" if the reunited Janata Dal was not allowed to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

He was speaking exclusively to Rediff On The NeT just before leaving for Patna this afternoon. Singh, who is also the Samata Party spokesman, said his party was prepared to severe all ties with the BJP if it came to that. "If the BJP thinks it can bully us into submission, its mistaken. We will fight to the finish without caring for the consequences. Either the reunited JD is in the NDA or we (the Samata Party and the Lok Shakti ) are out of it."

Singh reacted angrily to rumours that the Samata Party and its partner the Lok Shakti were only shadow boxing to ensure the reunited JD's entry into the NDA.

He pointed out that the August 7 rally of the reunited JD at Bangalore was a challenge to the BJP in Karnataka. "Do you call this shadow-boxing? We have charted out our future course with a cool mind, we are ready to face the consequences.''

Ever since the Samata Party and the Lok Shakti hardened their stance on the reunited JD's joining the NDA, the BJP leadership has been trying to play down the crisis. Yesterday, BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj reminded the leaders of the two parties that their careless statements could vitiate the atmosphere at the crucial meeting of the NDA tomorrow.

Singh today alleged that the BJP was going back on its word. "Fernandes ji and Hegde ji were categorically told by the BJP leaders that they had no problem about the reunited JD joining the NDA. But when everything was ready, they went back on their word. Is it fair? We certainly won't tolerate it."

Asked who these BJP leaders were, Singh named Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Union Home Minister L K Advani.

Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, who joined the converstion towards the end, pointed out that the Samata Party had its own individual identity with "fiercely independent party members." He said the August 7 Bangalore rally of the reunited Janata Dal was a challenge to "political dadagiri."

The railway minister said the reunited JD's entry into the NDA would not only benefit the BJP in Karnataka, but also in Bihar where the Samata Party has a sizeable presence.

And as Singh rose to leave for the airport, he hoped that better sense would prevail and the reunited JD would be accepted into the BJP-led front. When asked whether the Samata Party leaders would spend a peaceful night, Kumar quickly butted in with a reply: "We have peaceful minds and we will sleep peacefully. It's the other camp that might stay wide awake.''

Tell us what you think of this report