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'There is no alternative to our government'

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Thursday asserted that there was no alternative to the 18-party Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition at the Centre, even as he charged the Congress with playing a ''dangerous game'' to pin down his government at any cost.

''The Congress is in a dilemma... It has been asked to become aggressive but there is no issue on which it can become aggressive,'' he said in an interview to Doordarshan, granted to mark the completion of his one year in office.

He expressed satisfaction over the performance of his government. ''This proves that there is no alternative to our government. We have got an opportunity to serve the people, they want more from us,'' he said, adding that the government's survival could not be described as a major achievement.

Vajpayee, in an obvious reference to the non-cooperative mood of the Congress in Parliament, said Congressmen were afraid that if his government remained in office for one or two more years, it would be difficult to dislodge it.

''The Congress feels the parties with whom it may have to shake hands in future could move away from it if our government continues,'' the prime minister said. It was unnecessary for a responsible party like the Congress to rush into the well of the House without any issue. There was no issue that could not be discussed peacefully in Parliament, he added.

Justifying his government's decision to impose President's rule in Bihar, Vajpayee said: ''We have been opposed to the misuse of Article 356, we have ourselves been its victim. But Bihar was a fit case for invoking the Article and even our detractors agreed with our view... We saw an improvement in the law and order situation in the state during the brief period of President's rule''.

However, he continued, the Congress played a ''political game'' and decided to oppose the motion. ''We thought the Congress was with us on Bihar. There were certain indications, and even some public statements were made that the Rabri Devi government has lost the moral right to continue... Still the motion was opposed...We can't digest this'', he added, obviously referring to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's controversial statement.

In case of Bihar, the Congress has exposed itself and gained nothing in the process. The BJP, he said, on the other hand, had proved that it could take hard decisions in accordance with the wishes of the people.

Vajpayee said the Congress victory in the November assembly elections was not its own doing: ''It was a negative vote...Vote against the BJP and not in favour of the Congress.''

The situation has now changed dramatically. The economy has improved and onion, which was the main cause of the BJP's defeat, was now begging for demand, the PM added.

There was no issue available to the Congress now and, therefore, it was unable to decide its strategy even in Parliament, he said.

He said the BJP's alliance with its coalition partners was qualitatively different from that of the United Front. The BJP's coalition was not for power but strengthening the unity and integrity of the country. In this context, the prime minister drew attention to the party's alliance with the Akali Dal in Punjab.

''This alliance symbolises the coming together of two communities for lasting peace," he said. . Such alliances with other parties, he went on to add, were also based on a minimum programme and the national agenda for governance.

Asked if coalition governments had a future in India, and whether he favoured the presidential form of government, Vajpayee said, ''There are discussions going on about switching over to the presidential form of government...There are advantages but there is no consensus on it.''

Regional parties have become very important players in national politics, he continued. Many such parties had joined hands with the BJP to dislodge the Congress from power. ''Our coming together was necessary. Our alliance is working effectively but the dharma (creed) of coalition has not come about,'' he observed.

Vajpayee pointed out that the BJP was the biggest party in the coalition but it wanted to involve all its allies in the decision-making process.

When he took over as prime minister, Vajpayee said he had thought that he had more than necessary load on his shoulders. ''Later I felt that now that the load has come on me, I have to shoulder it... So things have become easier.''

UNI

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