The words have changed from unconditional to issue-based support, but the United Front (UF) does not see much change in the Congress attitude towards the H D Deve Gowda government ahead of its steering committee meeting slated for today and the budget session of Parliament scheduled to commence from Thursday.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) adopted a slightly aggressive posture over supporting the UF government at its meeting on Sunday. But, Front sources said that the posturing had more to do with the partys internal compulsions than any change in the relationship with the 13-party coalition.
The change in the stand was an outcome of the war of attrition between Congress president Sitaram Kesari and his detractors, UF sources said.
Indeed, UF leaders like Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary H S Surjeet, Union information minister C M Ibrahim and Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav made light of the change by welcoming the CWC resolution.
Surjeet said that the Congress had every right to raise issues which it feels are important.
But, this does not mean a change in its policy to support our government, he said.
Surjeet dismissed as frivolous and meaningless the Congress charge that the UF government had failed to check the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the original reason for supporting the 13-party coalition.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress had a one-point agenda to make Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati the Chief Minister. In Punjab, the party lost because of the corrupt government it provided for five years, he said.
CPI secretary D Raja echoed the same view, but asked the Congress to spell out its agenda clearly.
Sharad Yadav felt that there was no danger to the government in the wake of the CWC resolution.In Bangalore, Ibrahim said that the CWC decision to extend issue-based support was welcome..
UF sources said that todays steering committee meeting would be devoted more to economic than political issues. Clearly, an effort is being made to send the message that the UF is not worried over the Congress posturing and would like to go for the budget session with confidence, the sources said.
Pawar, Pilot diluted CWC resolution
Firm opposition by Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot prevented the Congress Working Committee from authorising party chief Sitaram Kesari at Sunday evenings meeting to withdraw support from the United Front government whenever he wanted.
Most other members, primarily K Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy and K Karunakaran, backed a stronger resolution than the one that was passed, according to CWC members who asked not to be identified. Members cited CBI and other investigations against Congress leaders, pointing out that no BJP leader had been subjected to any probe.
Pawar and Pilot insisted that the CWC was the ultimate authority in the party and should meet whenever the decision to withdraw support was to be taken. There have been indications in recent weeks that Pawar has moved subtly closer to the Narasimha Rao-Pilot-Jagannath Mishra axis.
