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Decision on Janata Dal joining NDA deferred again

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

National Democratic Alliance convener George Fernandes's reluctance today to answer questions pertaining to the entry of the reunited Janata Dal into its fold could scarcely conceal the fact that the crisis continues.

At the conclusion of the NDA meeting held at Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence, Fernandes contended that the media had written fanciful things about the crisis about which he did not want to comment.

But he asserted that "you can rest assured, all issues will be resolved."

He insisted that the question of the reunited Janata Dal joining the NDA had not been discussed since it was an inter-party matter between the BJP on one side and the Dal (Sharad Yadav), Samata Party and Lok Shakti on the other.

"The NDA is not going to involve itself in any matter among these parties," Fernandes said.

But some participants in today's meeting told a group of reporters outside the prime minister's 7 Race Course Road residence that the crucial question of the reunited Dal's entry into the ruling alliance had been put on hold because they were waiting to see whether the Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal gets the wheel symbol.

Fernandes indicated that the issue of the reunited party's fate would be decided on August 16 when the alliance partners meet again at the prime minister's residence. He said the NDA's draft manifesto, whose details were discussed today, would be released in its final version by the prime minister at the alliance's next meeting.

He also pointed out that the reunited Dal would be contesting the general election on a common symbol. The party's entry into the ruling alliance was supported by Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, representative of the Shiromani Akali Dal. "Talks are progressing in the right direction and there should be no problem," Barnala said.

Fernandes also removed doubts about the BJP-led ruling alliance not taking electoral advantage of the Kargil victory. He pointed out that "security-related affairs" (read Kargil) would figure in the alliance's manifesto since this was a national achievement and "achievements form part of the preamble of the manifesto".

BJP spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu pointed out that the NDA would be charting out its electoral strategy taking all relevant aspects into consideration, so that the opposition parties "would be left high and dry".

As reported earlier by rediff.com, a three-way formula is being worked out by the BJP for resolving its outstanding problems with the Samata Party's Fernandes and Lok Shakti's Ramakrishna Hegde, who are now iin the reunited Janata Dal.

The chief quid pro quo between the BJP and the Dal leaders is that J H Patel will forgo his claim for being the NDA's chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka, bringing much relief to the BJP's state unit.

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