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Leadership issue : Shift in Congress stand |
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The Congress has claimed that after the third phase of polling, “a secular, non-NDA government led by the Congress is now inevitable.” After a meeting of the party’s political strategy committee, the party said that “at the end of the third round of polling and keeping in view the expected trends of voting on May 10, the Congress party is firmly convinced that the people of India have decisively rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government.”
However, Karunanidhi and the senior CPI(M) leader, Somnath Chatterjee are reported to have suggested that the question of leadership of a non-NDA formation is better left open till the votes get counted.
The Samajwadi Party general secretary, Amar Singh, also laid down the bottom-line of his party’s approach: no truck with the NDA and all efforts to be made to unseat the BJP-led NDA Government. Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh indicated that though he was in favour of a third front government, the priority was to prevent the NDA from regaining power and towards that end he was even prepared to talk to the Congress. Ajit Singh is the Samajwadi Party’s alliance partner in Uttar Pradesh.
“Block the NDA” seems to be the new operational formula for the non-National Democratic Alliance parties and leaders. The non-NDA leaders politely demurred at the Congress’s pre-emptive assertion that the alternative to a Vajpayee-led government would be a Congress-led arrangement but there appeared to be a realisation that the non-NDA leaders should not be seen as divided and that the strategic priority has to be that return of the NDA should be blocked at all costs .
The Congress statement being a shift from the party’s stated position that the contours of a secular government would be decided by the allies after the results are out, the party spokesman, Jaipal Reddy, faced a volley of questions on what had made the party change the gears midstream. While Reddy maintained that the leader of the secular coalition would be decided by all its constituents, he said the Congress - by virtue of being the biggest secular party - had to take the political initiative.
Insisting that there was no contradiction in the Congress position on the shape of a “secular government,” Reddy’s answer to persistent questions on the possibility of it lending support to a third front government was the party’s stock line that there was no space in the Indian polity at this juncture for a third front. The official statement, sources claimed, was primarily aimed at sending across a message to voters in the fourth phase that the Congress was confident about its poll prospects.
“We want to exude confidence so that voters who may be inclined towards voting for us - but are still undecided - are not deflected by the atmosphere that has been built up by the exit polls.”
Though insiders claimed that the party had not sounded out its allies about the statement as it was primarily meant for public consumption, the Congress does not foresee any problem from them on account of the claim that it would lead a secular non-NDA government. “We are committed to what the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, said about the leadership issue - that it would be decided by the allies together,” is the party’s refrain on the subject.
Role of the Left
Irrespective of the Congress view and buoyed by exit poll results, Left Front partners are planning an active political career. A meeting in Delhi on May 15 and 16 will discuss what role they can play in ministry-making. Regional parties and the Left would have a much greater role to play, they feel.
Even the elusive Third Front may emerge after the polls. “We expect we will be able to form a non-Congress, non-BJP government,” CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee said. “If these parties win a substantial number of seats, the Congress will have to lend them support from outside. Otherwise, it will be held responsible for paving the way for a BJP-led government.”
According to the Left, “in the final round, there are states where neither BJP nor Congress will do well, while the Left and the regional parties will increase their tallies.” CPM was also preparing for a situation where they would support Congress in forming a government. “It is clear CPM will not join a Congress-led government, we will extend support from outside,” said Somnath Chatterjee. He felt CPM and other LF partners would still have an important role to play in shaping the economic policies of such a government. “It is clear now that under NDA the economic priorities of the country have lost focus completely.” Among the LF partners, the question of supporting Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister would, however, continue to be a thorny issue. “The CPM has no problem if Sonia becomes PM,” Chatterjee said. “We will not raise the issue of her nationality.” Ghosh however, added “It may not come to that.” He said. “Many parties may not like to see Sonia as PM. Mulayam Singh or Sharad Pawar may object.”
Left Front leaders admitted there could be a tussle over leadership if the non-Congress, non-BJP parties made a bid for power. There was a tussle in 1996 as well, but it was sorted out, Ghosh said. Differences will be buried in the anxiety to defeat the common enemy, the NDA. It will be a cementing factor, according to him.
The CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, has in the meanwhile, made it clear that even though the ‘Third Front’ excluding the BJP and the Congress is a good strategic concept, “it is not something that can be achieved in this Lok Sabha election.” Bardhan said: “We have no objection in sitting together with them (the partners of the proposed Third Front). But where will the numbers come from to form a secular Government? In this election the first priority will be to defeat the BJP-led NDA coalition and to install a government at the Centre.” He said the leadership issue can be sorted out after the election results are out. However, the party which emerges the biggest in terms of the number of MPs will naturally have the biggest say in that coalition. He said the Congress itself had accepted the need for a secular coalition at the Centre. But there could be no secular Government without the Communists’ participation.
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