The first round of formal talks between the United Front and the Congress failed yesterday, with the Front rejecting the Congress demand for a Sitaram Kesri-led coalition.
It was not just a kissa kursi ka but a kissa Kesri ki kursi ka (it was not just a power game, it was a game for power to Kesri), said a bitter Front leader. We were willing to go to the edge of the earth, to go for any mechanism to remove the misunderstanding but Congress members insisted on only one thing: We have supported you for 10 months, now its your turn to support our government, he added.
Inspite of the deadlock, representatives of both groups managed to smile at the cameras when they emerged at 8 p m from an over two-hour long meeting at the residence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.
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The participants described the talks as cordial and said they would meet again today morning at Sharad Pawars residence.
Sharad Pawar, A K Antony, Jitendra Prasada, J B Patnaik and Madhavrao Scindia formed the Congress delegation, while Chandrababu Naidu, Sharad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Farooq Abdullah and Harkishan Singh Surjeet formed the Fronts team.
We will come to an agreement, said Jitendra Prasada after the meeting. Prasada and Chandrababu Naidu had been authorised by the meeting to talk to journalists. However, the latter refused to respond to repeated questions.
Much before the talks started, the United Front standing committee had already reiterated its determination to stand by H D Deve Gowda and ruled out a change in leadership.
A Front leader was not hopeful of a solution at the second round of talks today. I dont think talks will succeed, he said. On the likely fate of the government in Fridays vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha, he said: Lots of (Congress) MPs will revolt (and vote for the Front government).
United Front spokesperson S Jaipal Reddy had nothing more to add to the statement that talks were held in a cordial atmosphere, except that I hope with second round, talks will be concluded. Earlier, the standing committee of the United Front sent a formal letter to Congress president Sitaram Kesri, which said: In conformity with our informal talks, we feel the time has come for formal talks. We would like such a discussion to take place at the earliest.
The letter was carried to Kesri by labour minister B S Ramoowalia at 11.30 a m. The Congress responded by sending its letter of acceptance to Naidu through Oscar Fernandes at 3.30 p m. Naidu later visited Gowda at around 4.15 p m, where Surjeet was already waiting for him.