The United Front steering committee yesterday decided to work unitedly to defeat the BJP motion demanding the recall of UP Governor Romesh Bhandari. Even home minister Indrajit Gupta, who has been irate at Bhandari, stressed this, saying there was no question of a difference of opinion on facing the motion squarely.
Bhandaris continuance in office could still be in jeopardy, though. No front leader openly supported him at the meeting, and Gupta reiterated that it was upto the Prime Minister to decide whether to retain Bhandari. The BJPs motion had to be defeated, he held, but whether or not to recall the Governor was a different matter. Gowda said little either way.Bhandaris mentor, defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, stoutly defended the law and order situation in the state and focussed the demands for Bhandaris removal as a political objective of the BJP. Resisting the demand was a part of the fight against communalism, he held, as the BJP wanted Bhandari out because he had refused to intal that partys government in the state.
The BJP emerged as the largest party in the House when general elections last October produced a hung Assembly. The party had been sure that it would secure the support of enough other members if the Governor installed its leader as Chief Minister and gave him a few days to prove his majority on the floor of the house. Yadav held that the BJP had launched five agitations to demand Bhandaris ouster but each had failed. He added that a BJP worker, who had contested against Yadav, was suspected of murdering BJP MP Brahm Dutt Yadav. The BJP had focussed on the murder to highlight increasing crime across UP.
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Briefing reporters after the meeting, Janata Dal working president Sharad Yadav officially took the position on behalf of the front that the debate, due in Parliament next week, was a part of the fight against communalism.
Among those who spoke of the need to unitedly defeat the BJPs motion were Harkishen Singh Surjeet (CPIM), Chitta Basu (Forward Bloc), Ram Vilas Paswan (JD) and Saifuddin Soz (NC). Among the several absentees were JD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Assam Chief Minster Prafulla Mohanta.