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Regional parties shun BJP

	July 23, 2007

The BJP is facing problems in its strategy of getting the support of regional outfits, which are a powerful bloc in several parts of the country. It appears that regional parties do not want to link their electoral fate with that of the BJP. Even the existing partners in the NDA are doing a rethink on the alliance.



In Karnataka, the BJP’s alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) is feeling strains. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, is not keen on continuing with the BJP on a long term basis. The BJP’s failure to carry along the JD(S) became clear in the Presidential election when Pratibha Patil secured the support of 83 legislators in the state, one more than the 82 votes which went in Shekhawat’s favour, despite the BJP-JD(S) coalition ruling the state.



In another significant pointer, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said on July 15 that he was not sure that he would make way for Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa of the BJP in October this year when he completes 20 months in the Chief Minister’s chair. Under the power-sharing deal between the two parties, each party can hold the Chief Minister’s post for 20 months. Kumaraswamy said, “Though I have promised to share power with the BJP, I also need to respect the decision of my party.” There are reports that Kumaraswamy may prefer to go in for fresh elections rather than hand over power to the BJP. The possibility of the Congress extending support to the JD(S) cannot also be ruled out.



In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena, the oldest ally of the BJP, snubbed Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in favour of UPA’s Maratha candidate Pratibha Patil. Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray also issued a statement that he would support Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar for the Prime Minister’s post, should the situation arise.



The Janata Dal (United) which is sharing power with the BJP in Bihar, is also not too keen to be seen with the BJP. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sees the BJP as a liability, unavoidable in the present context, but dispensable at an opportune moment.

In West Bengal, Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee believes that her alliance with the BJP has already made her an untouchable among the Muslims, crucial in any election in the state. Significantly, the Trinamul Congress did not vote in favour of Shekhawat in the Presidential election, and abstained.



Observers say that it appears that among regional parties, the BJP could get the support of only the All India Anna DMK for Shekhawat.





Arun Jaitley given charge of poll-bound Gujarat



Faced with criticism over his style of functioning, BJP president Rajnath Singh last week sought to mend fences with his rivals, handing over charge of poll-bound Gujarat to Arun Jaitley. The move is being seen in the party as a desperate attempt by the party president to buy peace with his rivals.



Acting in tandem with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Jaitley was credited with scripting the party’s stupendous success in the 2002 Assembly polls. Rather than persisting with the winning combination, Singh, fuelled by his desire to undercut his rivals, had divested Jaitley of the charge of the state,handing over its control to Om Mathur, considered a light weight.



Having botched up the party’s prospects in Uttar Pradesh and Goa, Rajnath Singh had come under tremendous pressure to send Jaitley back to Gujarat.



The Gujarat state unit has of late been rocked by dissension with a small, but influential section of MLAs raising a banner of revolt against Modi. With the situation threatening to spiral out of control, the BJP’s central leadership had no option but to revert to the winning formula.



The BJP president had of late come under pressure from his senior colleagues such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani as also the RSS, to maintain status-quo in Gujarat by handing over its charge to Jaitley.





Supreme Court orders action against BJP leader



The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to take appropriate action against former Union Minister Ananth Kumar of the BJP and officials of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for misusing its facilities resulting in the misappropriation of Rs, 14,500 crore of public money. The court asked the Government to submit an action taken report on the recommendations of the Central Vigilance Commission. Besides indicting the former Union Minister and HUDCO officials, the Commission has recommended a number of measures for improving governance in public sector enterprises.



The direction was given by a bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan. A defensive BJP, however, claimed that there was nothing against its general secretary in the CVC report. “As far as our understanding is concerned, the report does not contain anything against Ananth Kumar,” BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said on July 17.



Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh while appearing for the Centre said that the recommendations of the CVC were not binding on the Government. It is the discretion of the Government to act upon its recommendations, he contended.



This was opposed by advocate Prashant Bhushan who appeared for the petitioner, the Centre for Public Interest Litigation. Bhushan pleaded that the CVC submitted its report on the direction of the court, and the Government cannot be left to its own discretion to act or not to act upon it. He sought the direction of the court to the Government to submit the ATR on the subject.



The CVC in its report had stated : “As regards the allegation of misuse of staff and facilities of HUDCO by the then Minister of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation and his personal staff, it has been established that staff and facilities belonging to and paid for HUDCO were utilised by the then Minister and his personal staff without any entitlement for the same.