Chautala takes oath as CM today
By U.K.Bhanot
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 23 — Mr Om Prakash Chautala, President of the Indian National Lok Dal, who has been asked by the Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, to take oath as Chief Minister tomorrow morning, today assured the people of Haryana that he would give them a "clean and efficient" administration in accordance with the aspirations of the people.

Emerging from the office of the Governor, Mr Chautala told waiting newsmen that the Governor, when convinced that he had the majority support, asked him to come tomorrow for the swearing in ceremony.

Mr Chautala said he would not only restore the people's democratic and Fundamental Rights but also check corruption, improve the law and order situation in the state and ensure better water and power supply to the people.

Promising collective governance and mutually acceptable decisions, Mr Chautala said he would give an alternative government which would be above personal considerations.

Mr Chautala who finally emerged as the consensus candidate also said the formation of the new government would be decided after discussions among leaders of various factions. Asked if there would be a Deputy Chief Minister, he said this too would be decided by the participating constituents.

Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, also told newsmen that they had all collected under the leadership of Mr Chautala to end dictatorial rule of Mr Bansi Lal and herald a defeat for the Congress, which had been making all-out efforts to prevent the BJP and the INLD men from coming to power. Today's victory also signified the supremacy of democratic forces and the defeat for the "Kaikayees and Manthras". They had gathered to provide a strong alternative of the Bansi Lal government, he added.

Mr Karan Singh Dalal, leader of the Haryana Vikas Party (Democratic) told newsmen that his party's support to the Chautala government was "unconditional".

Mr Kartar Singh Bhadana, President of the new breakaway group called HVP(D), said his party members felt that they could not run the government on their own and even with the support of other groups. This was the reason why they had gathered around Mr Chautala who could govern the state efficiently for the next two years.

Scales suddenly tilted today in favour of Mr Chautala when he finally won over the entire breakaway group of the HVP along with half a dozen Independents. In all, he took 55 legislators, including himself and the two unseated MLAs — Mr Charan Dass Shorewala and Mr Vinod Kumar Marya — to Raj Bhavan this morning.

The 55 MLAs included 22 MLAs of the INLD, 10 of the BJP, 17 of the HVP(D) and the six Independents —Mr Kailash Chander Sharma, Mr Bhimsen Mehta, Mr Om Prakash Jain, Mr Akram Khan, Mr Relu Ramand and Mr Narendra Sharma.

Later Mr Chautala, who has not yet been asked by the Governor to seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly, also said the three parties had given a notice of no-confidence against the Speaker, Mr Chhattar Singh.

A former Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, was perhaps, among those who called on the Governor today and requested him to dissolve the Assembly in view of the demand of the people of the state to hold elections. He reportedly told the Governor that these very MLAs of the HVP who had been till yesterday supporting the Congress had now shifted their loyalty to Mr Chautala's INLD. This, he said, was a clear case of horse-trading. This phenomenon of "Aya Ram, Gaya Ram" should be checked forthwith.

Mr Bhajan Lal insisted that the Haryana Assembly elections should be held along with those of the Lok Sabha.

The Congress President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had sought time till 5.30 this evening for a meeting with the Governor, cancelled the engagement. He clarified that there was no change in his party's stand in the current political situation.

Mr Hooda said the Congress firmly stood by its stand for the dissolution of the Assembly and fresh elections simultaneously with these of the Lok Sabha. His party would now not extend support to any other political group, including the Bhadana-led Haryana Vikas Party (D) in the formation of an alternative government.

Mr Hooda said the ugly game of "Aya Ram, Gaya Ram" was being witnessed again. Like Mr Bhajan Lal, he too urged the Governor to dissolve the Assembly and order fresh elections to put an end to the game of horse-trading being indulged in by certain unprincipled persons.

When Mr Chautala assumes power tomorrow, he will be starting his fourth term as the Chief Minister of Haryana. For the first time, he succeeded his father, Mr Devi Lal, as Chief Minister, on December 2, 1989. This was when Mr Devi Lal had been elevated as Deputy Prime Minister of India in the V.P.Singh Government. However, in less than six months, he had to quit the office on May 22, 1990, following violence in the Meham byelection when he was himself a candidate.

Mr Chautala again became Chief Minister on July 12, 1990. This term lasted only five days and he was forced to relinquish charge on July 16, 1990, in the wake of the killing of an Independent MLA, Mr Amir Singh, in the earlier countermanded Meham byelection. Mr Chautala assumed office of the Chief Minister again, for the third time, on March 22, 1991, after the Meham byelection. As ill-luck would have it, he had to go when his government was reduced to a minority due to a revolt in the party. He remained Chief Minister till April 5, 1991, when President's rule was imposed in the state.

Mr Chautala, who has also served as General Secretary of the Janata Party and Convener of the Lok Dal between 1970 and 1980 became President of the Lok Dal which later became the Janata Dal.

Known as a good organiser, he arranged massive rallies successfully, including the Haryana Bachao, Samast Haryana and Kisan rally.

He resigned from the Haryana Assembly on November 1,1995, in protest against the then Congress Government’s alleged failure to safeguard the interests of the people of Haryana on the issues of sharing of the Yamuna waters and dewatering of fields during floods in different parts of the state.

How the drama unfolded
By Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 23 — The fear of dissolution of the Assembly personal ambition of several members of the HVP(D) were the two main factors which tilted the scales in favour of Mr Om Prakash Chautala in the wee hours today.

According to informed sources, the HVP(D) which was adamant till last evening that the next Chief Minister must be one of its members, meekly gave in after the INLD and the BJP negotiators adopted a carrot and stick policy last night.

Immediately after the HVP(D) leaders had met the Governor and staked claim to form government with the help of the Congress and the HVP, another round of talks was held between them and Mr Ram Bilas Sharma (BJP), Prof. Sampat Singh (INLD) and Mr Ajay Chautala, elder son of the Chief Minister-designate at Hotel Mountview. With both sides sticking to their stand, another round of talks was fixed after 9 p.m.

Mr Chautala, meanwhile, told his team of negotiators to convey to the HVP(D) that either it should accept him as the next Chief Minister or the INLD would write to the Governor asking him to dissolve the House. Since the Congress had already asked the Governor for dissolution of the Assembly, INLD concurrence would only hasten the inevitable.

In the meantime, an Independent MLA who was the negotiator between the HVP(D) and the HVP, informed the former that the HVP supremo would not accept four main leaders of the HVP(D), Mr Karan Singh Dalal, Mr Narbir Singh, Mr Jagan Nath and Mr Kartar Singh Bhadana, as the Chief Minister if his party’s support was required.

Mr Dalal, the sources say, withdrew himself from the race. This discouraged a number of MLAs who were with him. A number of HVP(D) MLAs, including Independent MLAs, were already apprehensive about the fate of the House if the HVP(D) insisted on having one of its members as Chief Minister.

By then on behalf of the INLD, a senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Mohan Jain, who had been acting as a coordinator for the HVP dissidents, became Mr Chautala’s trouble shooter.

Mr Jain began contacting HVP(D) MLAs individually and "persuaded" them to switch loyalty to the INLD. Anyone conversant with Haryana politics need no intelligent guess to know what must have persuaded the MLAs to accept Mr Chautala as their leader. The first one to break from the HVP(D), which is still to be recognised as a party by the Speaker, was a woman MLA.

The HVP(D) MLAs were also suspicious of the sincerity of the Congress and the HVP. They felt that since the Congress had already demanded the dissolution of the House, its support could not be taken for granted once the HVP(D) had burnt its bridges with Mr Chautala and the BJP. Similarly, they were apprehensive about the motives of HVP support.

The hard talk by the INLD-BJP negotiators at the 9 p.m. meeting put the mortal fear among the HVP(D) MLAs.

The matter was finally clinched at a meeting held in the wee hours today between Mr Chautala and Mr Bhadana, president of the HVP(D). The meeting was arranged by Mr Jain in Hotel Classic at short notice.

From then on it was a formality. A joint meeting of the three parties was held at Haryana Niwas to elect Mr Chautala as the leader.

Still there remained minor hiccups. Mr Jagan Nath was adamant. Mr Dalal and certain other main leaders wanted that the facade of unity in the HVP (D) must be maintained, even if the INLD leader was to head the new government.

Mr Dalal and one of his colleagues brought Mr Jagan Nath to the joint meeting, paving the way for the formation of the new government.

Meanwhile, Mr Chautala and Mr Ram Bilas Sharma have left for Delhi for consultations with the Prime Minister and other senior BJP leaders. The state plane will bring the Chief Minister-designate to Chandigarh from Delhi tomorrow.

Sources say Mr Chautala is likely to seek the permission of the Election Commission for transfer of certain officers holding key positions, which the Chief Minister-designate feels should be held by officers of the choice of the new government.

The participation of the BJP in the Chautala government will also be decided in Delhi.