Congress president Sitaram Kesri has told home minister Indrajit Gupta that the Congress could support the United Front government if Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was replaced by any other Front leader.
The significant scale-down by Kesri, who had withdrawn support to the Front government only the previous Sunday claiming his party would form a government, came when he called on Indrajit Gupta on Monday evening. Kesri was with Gupta for over half-an hour.
Kesri has only one demand, change the leader, said a Front leader. The adamant stand of Kesri on the leadership issue has led to informal talks within the Front that its steering committee today might have to ultimately examine the Congress demand.
Some Front leaders, however, expressed the hope that the Congress might agree to vote for the Gowda government provided the Front is able to give an undertaking that it would consider changing him later.
However, the Prime Minister is not taking any chances and has kept the government prepared for meeting any eventuality, including elections.
The Front and the Congress yesterday covered some distance between them by agreeing to talk formally from today. While the Congress has already appointed Pranab Mukherjee and K Karunakaran from their side, the Front would appoint its team at the standing committee to be held at 9.30 am today. The names of foreign minister IK Gujral, front convenor Chandrababu Naidu and CPI(M) general Harkishen Singh Surjeet is being taken as the probables on the Front's committee.
Kesri's meeting with Gupta was his second direct talk with any Front leader after he withdrew support to the Gowda government. He had met West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu last week. He had also called on former Prime Minister VP Singh.
Informal consultations were likely to continue through the night after the arrival of Front's convenor and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Tamil Maanila Congress chief GK Moopanar, and West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu late in the evening.
Janata Dal president and Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad met CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and CPI general secretary AB Bardhan yesterday. Congress leaders Arjun Singh called on home minister Indrajit Gupta yesterday evening.
A Janata Dal leader was of the view that though Gowda was goaded by the Front against his wishes to take over the Front's leadership, in a changed situation, the Front should not sacrifice the government just for the sake of one individual.
Explaining the rationale behind he patch-up formula, a Front leader said since there were only two days left for the vote of confidence, most of the Congress grievances could not be removed before April 11. Therefore, it would be better to get into an open agreement which could be implemented in a time bound manner.
This may include the setting up of a permanent coordination committee chaired by Sitaram Kesri, and a government with or without Gowda and with or without the Congress.
Congress leaders who interacted with some Front leaders were, however, not willing to rely on any promise to sort out problems after the confidence vote. Gowda had been promising things to senior leaders in the past. For, example, Congress leaders mention Gowda's promise to Pranab Mukherjee, Jitendra Prasad and Santosh Mohan Dev that UP Governor Romesh Bhandari would be removed after the debate on the UP situation in Parliament. No steps were taken as promised.
Similar promises were made by the Prime Minister to various Congress leaders on issues like the income tax notice to the Congress party.
The Front itself appeared divided on the issue of the extent of compromise possible with the Congress. One Front leader said the expectations of Gowda that the Congress might split had not materialised.
The Front had realised that the government could not be sacrificed for one person. Another leader still talked of Gowda inducting some Congress leaders into the cabinet without the consent of the Congress Party.
This would lead to the Congress being forced to expel them. But this is unlikely to give one third of the Congress to Gowda.
The steering committee of the Front had in fact discussed the issue in its last meeting and had come to the conclusion that the Front should not attempt to split the Congress.
There were three reasons for this: Firstly it would lead to the weakening of the Congress, leading to an advantage to the BJP. Second, the Front should dissociate itself from this kind of opportunism and third, a split would also not help the Front unless it brought 90 MPs to the Front.
It would be better to win over the entire Congress politically rather than inflicting injuries to it.
