DMK supports Congress' oust-Mulayam campaign

As the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meets here tomorrow to discuss the strategy for imposing President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, the move today got a boost with the DMK, in a late night development, supporting its line. This came as the CPI(M) stepped up its opposition to such a move.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today spoke to DMK leader M Karunanidhi over telephone after which the Tamil Nadu chief minister said the DMK would support the Congress line. Karunanidhi said the DMK would accept any decision taken by the Congress.

"I hope the Congress will take a right and good decision," he said. Asked whether his party would support any decision taken by the Congress, he said, "Oh yes."

However, the move was strongly opposed by the CPI(M), which issued a veiled warning that the imposition of President's rule in Uttar Pradesh could have a serious bearing on the government's survival at the Centre. The Nationalist Congress Party too had earlier opposed the move.

Demanding major modifications in Article 356 of the Constitution to include more safeguards against its misuse, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said, "On the use of Article 356 in UP, the government should be careful. The government should think what the consequences could be."

He was replying to a question about the Left's plan of action if the Congress ignored its advice and went ahead with the imposition of the President's rule.

"If it is a question of majority, it has to be decided on the floor of the House. Elections in UP are two months away. Let the people decide. Raj Bhawan or the Centre cannot decide. We are totally against it," Karat said.

This came as the Congress continued to talk with other parties to garner support for the move. A day after Karat made his party's stance clear to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury met Union Minister Kapil Sibal on Saturday to re-iterate the party's position.

The Congress camp is, however, unwilling to give up. Late last night, Ahmad Patel, political secretary to the Congress president, called up the Left leaders, including CPI National Secretary D Raja, to enlist his party's support.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party today sought recall of Uttar Pradesh Governor TV Rajeshwar saying he was acting with "malafide and motivated" intentions in an attempt to dismiss the Mulayam Singh government. "We will meet President APJ Abdul Kalam shortly and demand withdrawal of the UP governor," SP General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav told reporters here.

The CPI(M) Politburo discussed the developments in UP at its two-day meeting that concluded here today.

Karat said in 1999, a sub-committee of the standing committee of the Inter-State Council, which had representatives from the Congress, BJP, CPI(M) and others, had reached a consensus for including safeguards against the misuse of Article 356.

The proposed amendments included seven days' notice to the state government, subjecting the governor's report to judicial review and approval of the President's rule by a two-third parliamentary majority. "We do not want Article 356 to be used in a partisan manner and therefore want it modified," he said.

Giving his voice to the CPI(M) demand, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is preparing to enlist the support of other parties and launch a protest against the UPA government.

"We are in touch with the Samajwadi Party and are willing to join the agitation against any possible invocation of Article 356 in Uttar Pradesh," a TDP source said.

With allies' support not forthcoming, the Congress now faces a piquant situation with its prominent leaders already having made strong demands for the government's dismissal.