HVK Archives: BJP-BSP accord a failure of secular parties'
BJP-BSP accord a failure of secular parties' - The Observer
Observer Political Bureau
()
21 March 1997
Title : BJP-BSP accord a failure of secular parties'
Author : Observer Political Bureau
Publication : The Observer
Date : March 21, 1997
THE Left parties admitted on Wednesday that the BJP-BSP alliance in
Uttar Pradesh was a failure of the secular parties to "iron out
their differences." They blamed certain leaders in the United
Front, belonging to UP, for thwarting the formation of the
Congress-BSP-UF Government in the state by "bringing their ego into
politics. "
The crux of the Left's disillusionment is that on crucial questions
affecting their agenda - namely the economic policy followed by the
Government, the budget, a number of legislations bought before
Parliament and sundry other matters - they had adopted a "pragmatic
approach" and "compromised" on their positions.
This was with a view to achieve a single objective - to keep the
BJP, the 'communal' element, out of power. The Left also argued
that this objective was also the driving force in its attempt to
bring 13 disparate parties together in a coalition.
Even though the Left differed substantially, in both style and
substance, they chose to cast their lot with the coalition simply
because the "secular-democratic" forces are made strong enough to
keep the BJP at bay. However, developments in the last 24 hours,
with the BJP staging some sort of a "bloodless coup," made a Left
leader acknowledge that the "UP alliance, along with the victory of
the BJP-Akali Dal alliance in Punjab, had allowed them to emerge
from their isolation."
The UF would have put their heads together and 'readjust' their
strategy to counter the 'gains' made by the BJP. "The UF has to
look hard at the events and developments in UP and learn lessons
form the episode," a CPI member said.
A national secretariat member of the CPI, hinting at the stalemate
between Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav, said that the UF leaders
from UP should have taken a broader view of the situation rather
than adopting "an ambitious, subjective and vindictive attitude"
towards their political rivals, "especially when the main objective
of fighting the BJP was at stake."
He added that in politics, "while not surrendering the basic
principles, one has to be flexible in dealing with people and
problems. "
A senior CPM leader, while saying that the "stubborn attitude" of
the Congress was responsible for the failure, also attributed the
situation in UP to the "propensity of the casteist parties in the
state to mobilise castes only for the sake of attaining power and
establishing a patronage raj. "
He added that when the caste divisions are "exploited beyond a
point, it is very difficult for any progressive force to unite them
- leading to the situation being taken advantage of by
opportunistic elements."
However, the Left leaders were at pains to point out that they had
to go by the "reality of the situation in UP." "While the Left is
not comfortable with some of the elements in the UF, what better
alternative do we have?" they asked.
The Left is also of the view that the BJP-BSP alliance will be
"short-lived." It said that it was improbable that two parties
could survive such a cynical arrangement.
The alliance would "not be able to resolve the basic contradictions
between one partner propagating Hindutva and while the other
championing the dalit cause and fighting the manuvadi forces, an
official release of the CPM said.
"1995 will repeat itself," asserted a senior leader, pointing to
the BJP's withdrawal of support to the Mayawati-led BSP Government
in that year. "The Left will do everything to dislodge this
alliance of convenience," he said.
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