After hectic parleys through the past three days and nights, Congress president Sitaram Kesaris aides hoped yesterday to salvage their plans to form a government, despite the intransigence of many United Front constituents. They claimed that enough agreements with various Front partners were firming up for Kesari to be able to form a government.
They hoped the TMC, DMK, SP, AGP and the entire Janata Dal would agree to participate in a Kesari-led coalition. In addition, they counted on the support of about a score of MPs from smaller groups such as the National Conference.
Their claims flew in the face of the statements of various front partners, including some of those they claimed to have promises of suppport from. Kesaris managers explained that these statements were only public postures, calculated to improve their bargaining positions when the nitty gritty of the coalition was worked out in formal meetings.
All the groups would continue to spout abuse at the Congress and declare publicly their intention to have no truck with it, but would change their stands after this government falls and MPs pleas to avoid elections reach a pitch, one Kesari aide held.
Indicating that Sonia Gandhi may play a role, they confidently predicted that TMC chief GK Moopanar would soon take charge of formal negotiations between the front and the Congress. Kesari would offer Moopanar the title of deputy Prime Minister, they said, adding that P Chidambaram would continue as the finance minister.
Congress leaders claimed the AGP, which was not part of Kesaris original calculations, agreed to participate on Monday night.
The Dals backing was still not in the bag yesterday, but Kesaris managers were hopeful. A dozen Congress leaders were in touch with various Dal leaders to try and persuade them to agree to back Kesari, they said.
Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad had already committed the support of 21 MPs before Kesari pulled the rug, Congress leaders claimed. Since the TDP and some other groups changed their minds after Kesari withdrew his partys support, hectic efforts were made since Tuesday afternoon to make up the shortfall by striking a bargain with the Dal as a whole. The possibility of Gowda becoming the President when SD Sharmas term expires in July had been floated, they claim.
If the entire Dal falls in, along with the TMC, DMK, SP, AGP and other small groups, Kesari would have the support of 268 MPs. 273 would constitute a majority.
To make up the shortfall, his managers hope that the CPI will agree to participate. Though the Left parties have declared that they will not have any truck with the Congress, some senior Congress leaders hope they will at least allow the new coalition to last, albeit without declaring any kind of support. The negotiations have been conducted afresh over the past two days. Many UF partners who had pledged their support to Kesari before he withdrew support on Sunday had refused to play ball on Monday.
As the cry for front unity became vociferous on Sunday and Monday, the whole thing went up in smoke by Monday night, said one of Kesaris managers.
For a while, Moopanar seemed to be the frontrunner on Monday and Tuesday. A number of front partners pushed his candidature during confabulations, in the hope that the Congress would find an erstwhile Congressman acceptable.
