HVK Archives: Sinking Gowda ship sends SOS to saffron brigade
Sinking Gowda ship sends SOS to saffron brigade - The Economic Times
P R Ramesh
()
1 April 1997
Title : Sinking Gowda ship sends SOS to saffron brigade
Author : P R Ramesh
Publication : The Economic Times
Date : April 1, 1997
Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda - who is on a slippery ground after
the Congress lobbed the bombshell of withdrawal of support on the
ruling United Front regime - has informally opened channel of
communication with the BJP.
The request of help was conveyed to the party's senior leaders like
Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani - through a journalist, who is
known for his proximity to both Mr Gowda and the BJP and a party
MLA from Karnataka, Nanje Gowda. The BJP, however, was yet to
indicate its response to the plea of the prime minister.
The move by the prime minister is seen in the BJP circles as a sign
of desperation on the part of the prime minister. But the United
Front spokesman Jaipal Reddy, denied that the prime minister has
approached the BJP seeking its help. "It is baseless," said Mr
Reddy.
Sources in the BJP said the party was unlikely to take a view on
the subject until the prime minister formally approaches the
leadership with a request for support. This, according to its
calculation will be a major blow to Mr Gowda's allies who have been
accusing the BJP of being 'communal' and is sure to weaken the
'secular logic', the nucleus of the ruling coalition.
However, the party appears to be clear on one thing - that is, the
BJP will not like to associate with any venture that will have its
bete noire Mulayam Singh Yadav and the 'fodder seam-tainted' Laloo
Prasad Yadav. In other words, the party will support Deve Gowda
only when he is deserted by his 'natural ally', SP and his own
partymen from the Janata Dal. This is also expected to give the
party a 'good enough reason' to convince the cadre and escape the
accusations of opportunism from its rivals.
The party's calculation about supporting a lame-duck Gowda stems
from two other reasons. One, Deve Gowda, with a reduced support in
the Lok Sabha would be at the mercy of the party.
Mr Gowda, who is - according to the BJP leaders - in a rebellious
mood, is certain to take on the 'deserters' without any prompting
from the party. While the fodder seam is haunting the Bihar chief
minister, the Uttar Pradesh government has already given its nod
to-prosecute Samajwadi Party leaders who are involved in the
multi-crore Ayurveda seam.
Secondly, it will give the BJP the power to decide the course of
events as the arrangement would be critically dependent on its
support. That this will suit the BJP the best was manifest when a
senior leader said "we will decide on the date of the next
election." The party, which is keen to have an election by the
year-end, is hopeful that the crisis of credibility in the enemy
camp will swell its electoral tally.
Senior party leaders, who are yet to discuss the Gowda proposal
with their colleagues, in the meantime, have kept up attack on both
the Gowda government and the Congress which, according to Mr
Vajpayee, has "applied for the yet to become vacant post of the
prime minister".
Party leaders, who called on the President later told reporters
that "any claim by any party or any combination should be verified
by the Rashtrapati Bhawan properly".
Stating that the Congress claim was not based on any firm
commitment, Mr Advani said it should be ascertained whether it had
the support or was it a mere posturing. "If the Congress is invited
to form a government and that government also fails, who will head
a caretaker government", he asked.
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