HVK Archives: BJP prefers fresh elections, says Venkaiah Naidu
BJP prefers fresh elections, says Venkaiah Naidu - The Financial Express
PTI
()
1 April 1997
Title : BJP prefers fresh elections, says Venkaiah Naidu
Author : PTI
Publication : The Financial Express
Date : April 1, 1997
The BJP all India general secretary, Venkaiah Naidu, said today
that his party would prefer to go in for a snap poll in the
aftermath of the withdrawal of support to the UP ministry by the
Congress, but if the Members of Parliament wanted to avoid
dissolution of the house the only way open was a return to a BJP
ministry headed, Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Addressing a press conference here, Naidu said the country would
not want an alternative ministry led by the Congress, which had
staked its claim, as the party had already been rejected by the
people in the last elections. The UF's claim of being able to
prove its majority on the floor of Parliament was also an
impossibility as there was no unity within the UF nor in the Janata
Dal, Naidu said.
The BJP leader said Deve Gowda should have quit honourably
following withdrawal of Congress support, but the BJP would not
question it if the president intended to give the UF ministry a
chance to prove its majority on the floor of Parliament.
Naidu said as the situation was fluid the BJP kept its options open
and would adopt for the time being a "wait and watch" approach.
As and when the president made known his decision the BJP would
also come out with its response, Naidu said.
There was, however, no question of the BJP having any alliance or
understanding with the Congress.
Replying to a question, he said the timing of the Congress decision
to withdraw support was 'bad' as the budget session was on and
besides developments like Indo-Pak talks were on.
The BJP leader felt that the Congress decision was influenced by
the party's concern as to how to escape the criminal conviction
being faced by their leaders from Rao and Kesri to K Karunakaran
and several others.
The BJP leader was of the view that a change in the present fluid
political situation could arise only if there was rethinking among
the partners of the United Front.
Asked to explain his observation as to how the BJP kept its options
open, Naidu pointed out that his party had the stable support 200
members. "So we will be able to provide a more stable government
than partners with divergent political ideology and behavioural
problems. If a BJP government is not possible the only alternative
is election', he said.
No body, he said, would trust the congress as it had already
brought down three minority governments.
He was confident that in the event of elections the BJP would
emerge victorious. "The people are waiting for the opportunity",
he added.
Naidu did not see any justification for the Deve Gowda government
to continue after withdrawal of Congress support.
Asked if the BJP would demand fresh polls, Naidu said: "left to
ourselves we will prefer elections. But we are not demanding it at
the moment'.
The BJP was also against any "hotchpotch arrangement which will not
last long", he said.
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