HVK Archives: Coterie launches drive to rock fledging Gujral govt
Coterie launches drive to rock fledging Gujral govt - The Indian Express
Harish Gupta
()
25 April 1997
Title : Coterie launches drive to rock fledging Gujral govt
Author : Harish Gupta
Publication : The Indian Express
Date : April 25, 1997
Even as working president of the Janata Dal, Sharad Yadav, swung
into action to narrow down differences among the United Front's
constituents, CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, former
Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and a few others have launched a
campaign to weaken the Gujral Government before it could stabilise.
The fire-fighting began soon after Surjeet and Deve Gowda raised
serious doubts about the longevity of the Gujral Government during
separate talks with newspersons on Wednesday. Contrary to popular
perception, Surjeet is reported to be unhappy with the elevation of
Gujral as Prime
Minister at the cost of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.
He thinks that Gujral does not have the skill to fight the BJP and
A not be able to maintain a balance between the Left and the
Congress. According to sources, Surjeet maintained that a strong
leader from north India was capable of fighting the BJP and that
there was nothing personal against the TMC leader G K Moopanar.
Former Prime Ministers Chandra Shekhar and Deve Gowda - on
Wednesday night are understood to have dwelt at length on the
prevailing political situation. Chandra Shekhar who criticised the
Gujral Government during the vote of confidence on April 21, is
equally bitter towards Congress president Sitaram Kesri.
Sharad Yadav is learnt to have told an otherwise "hurt" Deve Gowda
that he was not against him at all. He had demanded his
resignation on April 12 from the post of the leader of the UF
Parliamentary Party only to avoid a snap poll.
He reminded Deve Gowda that if he had initiated talks with the
Congress on April 2 (four days after the support was withdrawn) as
had been unanimously decided by the UF's standing committee, things
could have been different. But he (Deve Gowda) began talks with
the Congress on April 8. Therefore, no useful purpose would be
served by blaming others for whatever happened on April 11. It was
also explained to Deve Gowda that there was no move to bring former
Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde into the JD. Although
Hegde met Bihar CM Laloo Prasad Yadav a few days ago to discuss the
political situation, there is no question of his re-entry into the
party.
But Gowda was not convinced. He was bitter the way his Cabinet
colleagues and Front partners treated him. He is planning to tour
various parts of the country and unwilling to have any truck with
the Congress with Kesri at the helm The running battle within the
JD over the dropping of Devendra Prasad Yadav from the Cabinet has
given an opportunity to Mulayam Singh Yadav and detractors of Laloo
to launch fresh campaign against the JD president.
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