With the CBI likely to go soft on Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in the multi-crore fodder scam, indications are that the crisis in the Janata Dal would be sorted out before the scheduled party election tomorrow. This could involve Gujral taking over as party chief and the inclusion of Sharad Yadav in the Union cabinet.
Laloo Yadav sent a three-point formula to Gujral through loyalist Raghuvansh Prasad Singh yesterday. Singh had travelled to Patna on Sunday night with a letter from Gujral. After discussions with Singh, Yadav came out with the formula, but that was immediately shot down by supporters of Sharad Yadav, who said they would consider this only after elections are over tomorrow.
Laloo Yadav stuck to his decision not to quit the chief ministership until proved guilty by the court. In case Gujral did not agree to take over as party president, the Chief Minister wants to be allowed to continue as party president for another six months, and Sharad Yadav being accommodated in the cabinet. In case the two proposals did not not find favour with the Prime Minister, Yadav requested Gujral to constitutte a five-member panel to shortlist the leaders for the top post. He, however, had two riders: that the panel should not include Deve Gowda, Ramvilas Paswan, Sharad Yadav, Madhu Dandavate and Surendra Mohan and that the final choice for the post would be made jointly by Gujral, Sharad Yadav and himself.
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Yadav also laid down a condition that the five leaders sought to be excluded from the panel should not be short-listed for party presidentship. Raghuvansh Singh was also told that there could be no compromise on continuance of Yadav as Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Laloo Yadavs supporters asked the Prime Minister to hold a meeting of senior party leaders to arrive at a consensus on the issue.
The Prime Minister should hold a panchayat of senior leaders to choose a third candidate. And if anybody differs from the decision of the panchayat, action should be taken against him, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told newsmen in the capital after returning with the chief ministers message to Gujral.
A Sharad Yadav supporter, on the other hand, said that they would go to negotiating table only after organisational elections were over.
Sharad Yadav said all these talks of a third candidate was a non-issue and no one had approached him with any proposal. When asked that the Prime Minister was also interested on finding a third candidate, Sharad Yadav said: The Prime Minister is one of the senior most leaders of the Janata Dal. He can talk to me any time on the matter. But everything seems to be in air.
He reiterated the crisis that the party was facing was not because of organisational elections but due to the situation arising out of the fodder scam.
Let senior leaders of the Janata Dal discuss and solve the crisis arising out of the fodder scam. Let the steering committee of the United Front discuss the matter and find a solution. Why should the issue of organisational elections be discussed now, just forty eight hours before the polling, he said.n Gujral takes over as Janata Dal chief, both he and Sharad Yadav withdraw;
He remains party president for six months;
Gujral constitutes a five-member panel to shortlist leaders for the top post.