The Bharatiya Janata Party office bearers met yesterday to discuss the fallout of the election of Congress president Sitaram Kesari as the Congress Parliamentary Party leader.
The focus was mainly on building bridges with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). This could not only lead to the formation of a government in UP but also to helping to build support for a BJP government at the Centre, particularly if Congress withdraws support to Gowda government. The party softened its attitude towards the BSP and asked former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to continue efforts to reach an understanding with BSP chief Kanshi Ram for formation of a government in UP, despite the latters recent statement at Ludhiana ruling out a coalition.
Though the mood among the BJP leaders was predominantly in favour of a BSP-BJP coalition in UP, they agreed that all efforts should be made to try to reach a compromise. Kanshi Ram has insisted that the BJP should support a Mayawati government without joining it.
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Some leaders said that Kanshi Rams statement has created problems for the BJP. A BJP leader, who has been in touch with Ram, informed the meeting that the BSP chief had shown his willingness to talk to Vajpayee. Kanshi Ram said he was quoted wrongly in newspapers, the BJP leader told the meeting.
The meeting concluded that the speed with which Kesari became CPP leader reflected his larger political game of withdrawing support from the United Front government and trying to form a Congress led government. Advani identified the friends and foes of the Congress.
While he described the Congress Tiwari, Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) and the DMK as friends of the Congress, the Left parties, particularly the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) was described as the Congress enemy. The Samajwadi Party led by defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Janata Dal (JD) group led by Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav were described as potential allies.
Party spokesman Yashwant Sinha, who briefed newsmen after the meeting,.
said the BJP leaders felt that the United Front government has become, perhaps, even more stable than before after Kesaris election as CPP leader.
The BJP would watch further developments in the Congress and the United Front and BJP leaders would meet more frequently to assess the situation, he added.