Senior United Front (UF) managers yesterday told leaders of the constituent parties not to be nettled by the threatening posture adopted by some Congress leaders. They saw the spate of reports about a possible withdrawal of support by the Congress as a media hype.
At the meeting of the Fronts steering committee, three leaders - Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and Union defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav - said that the government should not be perturbed by such reports, and should instead concentrate on improving its performance. This was the first meeting of the committee since Sitaram Kesari took over as leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).
The expected discussion on economic issues did not take place during the meeting. It was decided that such potentially contentious issues would be taken up at another meeting of the steering committee today.
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The only economic issue that was raised related to the payment of dues to sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh. The matter was raised by the Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Parishad (BKKP) leader Ajit Singh.
He said that if the situation was not resolved soon, there would be no production in the sugar-rich state two years hence.
However, Basu wanted the steering committee to discuss the broad directions of the forthcoming Union Budget.
Almost all the members of the steering committee - except Union finance minister P Chidambaram - attended yesterdays meeting, including the Chief Ministers of the Front-ruled states.
On the perceived Congress threat to withdraw support, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said that the party had no choice but to make such threatening noises in public. But, the Front partners should also get their act together and be ready to go before the people if need be, he said.
Mulayam Singh Yadav did not want the Front members to see too much into the threats held out by some Congress leaders.
The general perception at the meeting was that all constituents should move unitedly on all issues and that there should be no public display of differences within the Front.
Front sources said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) came under considerable fire from two leaders: Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.
In a significant move, both complemented each other in their views on the investigating agencys activities against political leaders. Both denied any involvement in any corrupt activity: Mulayam Singh Yadav in the Ayurveda scam in Uttar Pradesh, and Laloo Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam.
How can the CBI write the confidential reports (CRs) on ministers, remarked Mulayam Singh Yadav, who also reportedly accused CBI officials of misbehaving.
On his part, Laloo Prasad Yadav wondered how he could be involved in the fodder scam when his government itself had unearthed it.
Basu explained to Laloo Prasad Yadav that the Left parties were not personally against him.
Front sources said that Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted the Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary H S Surjeet to take over as chairman of the Front, a proposal which found favour with Gowda also.