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Laloo plans a 'secular' government

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

With the Rashtriya Janata Dal continuing to give the National Democratic Alliance a stiff challenge in Bihar, the central Bharatiya Janata Party leadership is seeking ways to stop Laloo Prasad Yadav's quest for power.

The trends at 1900 IST today showed that the RJD had bagged 124 seats to the 125 of the NDA, comprising the BJP, the Samata Party and the Janata Dal United. The Congress had won 24 seats while independents and others had won 52.

"If Laloo Yadav thinks his quest for power is going to be easy, he is mistaken," said BJP vice-president K Jana Krishnamurthy. "He has taken it for granted that he will head the next government in Bihar. But he has forgotten that there is the proverbial slip between the cup and the lip," Krishnamurthy contended. He did not elaborate.

The RJD chief, however, has already started distributing sweets to his supporters and well wishers, smugly saying, "the people of Bihar have categorically rejected the communal BJP and we will form a government comprising secular parties".

Yadav sought to allay the curiosity of some mediamen whether the Congress would support him in his quest to form the government. "It is true that I have no hand in the Congress leadership's decision whether it will support a secular government headed by me. But tell me, will the Congress support a communal party like the BJP?" he said.

He pointed out that Congress politicians had already identified the NDA as their main enemy and so there is no possibility of Sonia Gandhi's party "coming to the aid of a government including a communal outfit like the BJP".

Senior Congress politician Mohsina Kidwai today said the Congress Working Committee would take a final decision on the question of supporting any government in Bihar.

RJD activists in Delhi also indicated that the party's leaders, including Laloo Yadav, had begun a dialogue with "like-minded secular parties" to form a government in Bihar. They indicated that the Congress, Communist Party of India, CPI-Marxist, and some independents had been approached.

Yadav rejected the NDA charge that a government headed by him would be a "jungle raj". "First of all, you have to see who resides in a jungle. There are tigers, tigresses, Laloo and bhaloo (bears) living there. At least, we will be spared rank communalism (that will result) if the BJP were to form a government. But such a question does not arise if a secular government will be formed," he said at the official residence of his wife, Chief Minister Rabri Devi, while supporters cheered and clapped.

The BJP too has geared up in its quest to form an NDA government comprising the three constituents -- the BJP, Samata Party and JD-U -- and is trying to woo smaller parties and independent MLAs.

BJP workers contended that the governor would be in no hurry to summon the contenders for power and that it would provide "ample time" for the ruling coalition partners at the Centre to "stake a claim" to form the government.

They indicated that the NDA would try to win over various MLAs but would not elaborate.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi admitted that the party's alliance partners had virtually sabotaged each other's electoral prospects in a number of constituencies. But necessary steps would be taken to rectify the situation, he said.

Assembly Election 2000

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