Rediff Navigator News

Commentary

Capital Buzz

The Rediff Poll

Miscellanea

Crystal Ball

Click Here

The Rediff Special

Arena

The Rediff Special /Surabhi Banerjee

A member of the BJP later admitted that if Jyoti Basu had emerged as the Front leader they would have faced a serious crisis

Jyoti Basu After the Politburo meeting concluded on May 12, an exhausted Basu returned to Banga Bhavan. He took a few calls from well-wishers and politicians in his bedroom, had his cup of tea. 'But it was not time to call it a day a yet.' A few minutes later, one of his cabinet colleagues, a member of the Central Committee, arrived. Their discussion veered to their stand in the emergency Central Committee meeting that was to be convened the next morning. . He seemed to share Basu's views on joining the coalition. 'You can't carry on endless discussions. At one point you simply have to stop and take the decision, which, whatever be the magnitude of the issue, can only be a brave yes or a dry no,' remarks Basu.

The Central Committee met on the morning of May 13. Basu presided over the meeting. Harkishen Singh Surjeet presented a note on the discussions in the Politburo and the majority and the minority views. The issue sparked off a heated debate which went on for several hours -- but the majority decision was not to join the United Front government.

Basu displayed a calm exterior during the meeting but a fierce storm was brewing within. 'At one point, I thought that we've been patient enough, enough is enough, and it is time put the issue to the vote - a rare occurrence in the history of the Central Committee.' The majority voted against joining the government. Thirty-five votes were cast by the majority against twenty for the minority view with four remaining undecided.

Meanwhile, as the Central Committee deliberated, the main partners in the central coalition met at Bihar Bhavan and unanimously decided on Jyoti Basu as their candidate for prime minister as V P Singh had declared that he would not be available for the position.

The Third Front leaders came to know the decision of the Central Committee of the CPI-M at about four o'clock in the evening. Most leaders criticised the decision. Basu and Surjeet reached Bihar Bhavan at about seven thirty , with a copy of the decision of the Central Committee. The meeting room was brimming with important political leaders, among them Indrajit Gupta, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav, I K Gujral, Surendra Mohan, Ram Vilas Paswan and Wasim Ahmed. V P Singh was not there. He had just returned from Udhampur in Jammu and had driven home straight from the airport because he was feeling out of sorts.

The decision of the CPI-M came to the Front as a bolt from the blue. Basu explained the resolution of the Central Committee to its members. Mulayam was visibly disappointed. In fact, all of them were at a loss. A crisis loomed large. If they could not choose their leader, the BJP was going to form the government.

Nobody noticed that Wasim Ahmed, a close associate of V P Singh, had quietly slipped out of the room while the discussions were on. He rushed to V P's house and briefed him on the latest developments. The leaders requested the CPI-M to reconsider its decision in view of the threat of communalist forces hijacking the government. Surjeet promised to ask the Central Committee to review its decision.

There was quite a crowd waiting for Basu upon his return to Banga Bhavan, journalists, supporters, politicians, all wanting him to appraise them of the latest developments. Basu refused to oblige them and went straight to his suite where his son Chandan had been waiting for some time. Chandan told him that Narasimha Rao had called to enquire whether his father would take over.

The BJP felt threatened. A member of the BJP later admitted that if Jyoti Basu had emerged as the Front leader they would have faced a serious crisis. Basu took important calls, had dinner with his son Chandan and some other friends and relations. Chandan was vehemently opposed to his father becoming the prime minister as the family would be under great pressure and in danger from political and extremist groups. Basu told him it was a political issue and his opinion did not count.

Excerpted from Jyoti Basu, by Surabhi Banerjee, Viking, 1997, Rs 400, with the publisher's permission.

Tell us what you think of this report

Back Continued

E-mail


Home | News | Business | Sport | Movies | Chat
Travel | Planet X | Freedom | Computers
Feedback

Copyright 1997 Rediff On The Net
All rights reserved