Proof of support in days: Sonia
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, April 21 — The Congress moved a step closer towards the formation of a new government at the Centre with its President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, conveying the party’s intention to the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, here today.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who was called by the President, told mediapersons after the meeting that Mr Narayanan had asked her to explore the possibility of forming the next government.

She asserted that the Congress had the backing of the requisite 272 MPs to form the next government and that her party would be able to furnish the letters of support from other parties.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi said the Congress sought two days’ time to submit the proof of support to the President.

Notwithstanding the reservation by the Samajwadi Party, Mrs Sonia Gandhi expressed confidence that the party would support a Congress government.

However, she refused to answer a question on who would lead the government, stating that it was premature.

The invitation from the President came soon after the party submitted a copy each of the resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), authorising her to take measures to form an alternative government.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who is also the Chairperson of the CPP, refuted BJP charges that her party was indulging in horse-trading.

On the contrary, she said, it was the BJP which was engaged in horse-trading and said "you are all aware when the BJP formed the government in 1998 what kind of horse-trading took place".

Party sources said senior leaders, including Mr Madhavrao Scindia, were holding discussions with Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav to sort out the differences.

The Congress, which is in favour of forming a minority government with like-minded parties supporting it from the outside, has decided to draw up a common programme after discussions with other parties.

Confirming this, party spokesman Arjun Singh said: "We will have a common programme and steps in that direction will be taken".

Mr Arjun Singh also sought to underplay the discordant note struck by the Samajwadi Party chief, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, on the formation of an alternative government.

"I don’t want to join issue with Mr Yadav. We will certainly talk to him. The issues raised by him will be resolved. It is our duty to remove whatever reservations he has," Mr Arjun Singh said.

He said the Congress believed that ultimately all secular parties would come together in the interest of the nation and all those who voted against the Vajpayee Government would support the party.

Meanwhile, Mr Sharad Pawar today held discussions with the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Janata Dal leader, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, and a former Prime Minister, Mr Chandra Shekhar.

Mr Paswan reportedly told Mr Pawar that he might have some reservations about certain parties in Bihar, an apparent reference to the RJD, but at the national level, he would be with the Opposition.

Apart from having a common programme, the Congress also plans to devise a mechanism to coordinate with other supporting parties, a senior leader said.

Meanwhile, the Congress President met Muslim League leaders, Mr G M Banatwalla and Mr E Ahmed. Both have already given letters of support to the party in forming the next government.

Mulayam Singh's conditions for support
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, April 21 — Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today hardened his stand on installing a minority Congress government at the Centre by raising issues which could once again propel the ‘third front’ forces together.

The Samajwadi Party leader, who was being wooed by the Left parties, specially CPM General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet to agree to extend outside support to a Congress government today said that he was in favour of West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu heading an alternative government at the Centre. Party sources said that Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav was now not in favour of installing a minority Congress government.

Samajwadi Party chief, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, addressing a press conference in the capital on Wednesday. — Photo by Vijender Tyagi.

At a press conference here the Samajwadi Party chief also raised certain issues akin to those generally raised by the Left parties could push a front. He said any party which would provide the alternative government at the Centre would have to first address issues like, its stand on the Patents Bill, Women’s reservation bill (as being demanded by the Samajwadi Party), IRA Bill, policies towards farmers, unemployed youth, social justice, uniform civil code, TADA detainees and even Ayodhya and Article 370.

The hardening of his stand has apparently come about following a meeting yesterday with his party MLAs in Uttar Pradesh and the party’s district and zone level heads. In the meeting at Lucknow, the unanimous view was that Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav should not at any cost extend support to the Congress and must strengthen the ‘third front’ even if this meant going to the polls.

While the Samajwadi Party chief, with the backing of 20 MPs, has called an meeting of non-Congress secular parties like the AIADMK and the Left parties at his residence in the evening, reports said that Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav’s compulsions in Uttar Pradesh came in the way of extending support to Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

There is apparently a view that the party has little to lose by opting for elections now or at a later date. However, aligning with the Congress will mean erosion of its minority vote bank. On the other hand the close ties developing between the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is another factor which the Samajwadi Party must take into account.

A senior MP of the Samajwadi Party, speaking off the record said that even the BJP, before forming a government had sat together with its allies and chalked out a common minimum programme. By the congress, with fewer MPs than the BJP, was wanting to go it alone and without taking other parties into confidence.

He added that the Congress must understand that it was stuck between the devil and the deep sea. Elections would mean that it would be totally wiped out, specially in Uttar Pradesh because of its role in imposing another election as it was at its initiative that the other parties got activated and brought down the BJP-led coalition government.

The Samajwadi Party is also not happy with the way the Congress staked its claim for forming the government without taking its allies into confidence. This is clearly reflected in the remarks of Mr Yadav who in reply to a question seeking his reaction to Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s staking claim for formation of the government, retorted curtly, "go and ask the Congress".

Mr Yadav’s outburst has virtually thrown a spanner in the works for formation of the alternative government. Political circles are agog with speculation that his move is aimed at forming a third front government supported by the Congress or with representation in the alternative government.

Mr Yadav has already made it clear that Ms Jayalalitha is on the top of the list of friendly party leaders invited for today’s meeting.

Asked whether the SP would extend issue based support from the outside or from inside, Mr Yadav said such matters would be decided in consultation with other partners.