The United Front steering committee is meeting here today to take a final decision on changing its leader to pave way for the formation of a new United Front government with the Congress supporting it from outside, at a time when the Congress and the Left Front have entered into a `chicken or egg situation.
The Left constituents of the Front have decided yesterday that the Congress should first withdraw its letter to President Shanker Dayal Sharma, staking claim to form government. Only then, the Front should entertain the thought of changing its leader, it said. But Congress leaders say they would do so only after the Front elects a new leader.
On the other hand, Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) president G K Moopanar who is a strong contender for the Prime Ministership had declared in Chennai yesterday that the new Front leader would be chosen by consensus today. Similar views were expressed by the Fronts convenor Chadrababu Naidu and West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu on Wednesday.
The steering committee had decided last Sunday that it would meet again today to take a final decision on the change of leadership, followed by a meeting of the Fronts Parliamentary Group on April 20, in which a new leader would be elected in place of Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. The decision was taken expecting that by then, the Congress would have withdrawn its letter to the President following its working committee meeting on Monday.
Perhaps due to the given last-minute tension, Chandra Babu Naidu took the evening flight to Delhi yesterday as against his plans to come early today. Basu has also changed his plans and is now attending the steering committee.
While the Left has demarcated itself from the Front, most leaders, including those of the Left, were yesterday confident it would remain united.
The Congress party has written a letter to Chandra Babu Naidu expressing its support to a new leader of the United Front, except Gowda. It has talked about the need to set up a mechanism for close consultation between the Front government and the Congress. Once they (Congress) have taken the decision that they will support a Front government under a new leader, its letter to the President becomes infructuous, a Front leader who did not agree with the Left view said.
Congress spokesman V N Gadgil refused to comment on the Lefts demand that Congress should withdraw its letter as a prelude to United Front changing its leader. The party has been maintaining that withdrawing the letter to the President was a mere formality after it has given up its claim for power.
However, Congress sources said it was insisting on the United Front electing a new leader first if it withdrew its leader without the Front being in a position to stake its claim, it would lead to a political vacuum which could be exploited by communal forces.
