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Polls may not trigger new alliances

The pressure of an impending election is unlikely to spark new political alliances of convenience, with all the major parties taking a rigid stand.

With the three main blocs -- the United Front, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party and allies -- resolving to fight on their own steam, there is little chance of erstwhile foes turning electoral allies in order to get optimum results.

Stung by the toppling of the Inder Kumar Gujral government, the United Front today ruled out any truck with the Congress for the general election.

Briefing the media, UF spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said the combine would fight the election unitedly on the basis of a common programme. It would not have any alliance with the Congress or the BJP in any state.

The two UF constituents -- the Tamil Maanila Congress and the Samajwadi Party which were expected to jump on the Congress bandwagon to form a government at the Centre -- are unlikely to ditch the combine now and align with the Congress. For, the latter has been mauled in the just-concluded political uncertainty.

Ostensibly, the well being of the TMC and the SP lies in their continuing to stick together with the UF which hopes to improve its tally of parliamentary seats in the 12th Lok Sabha.

Biting the dust after its efforts to form a government failed in the wake of the Inder Kumar Gujral government's demise, the BJP leadership is unlikely to attract any more electoral allies.

Speaking at a meeting, senior BJP leader and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said the party could have alliances with more political parties in the general election. ''Many Congress leaders are willing to come to the party fold for providing a stable government at the Centre,'' he claimed.

He said the party had tie-ups with the Akali Dal, the Haryana Vikas Party, the Samata Party and the Shiv Sena. ''If needed, many other political parties can be included.''

Describing the UF as an ''opportunistic alliance to keep the BJP at bay'', he said the combine ''wanted to eat the cake and have it too. They should have been ready to share power with the Congress. They wanted Congress support but did not give them their due. Therefore, the Congress first pulled down H D Deva Gowda and now Gujral.

''The Congress and the UF are against the BJP. But we are not scared.''

He hinted that he would contest the next Lok Sabha election again from Lucknow. ''In the Lucknow tradition of pehle aap, pehle aap I do not want to miss the chance. I have to stand from Lucknow.''

As for the Congress, its leadership ostensibly welcomed the announcement of the polls with party president Sitaram Kesri telling the media, ''The best thing has happened in a confused scenario.''

Virtually launching the party's election campaign, he said the main fight would be against the BJP.

Disclosing that the party would accept the support of like-minded parties, Kesri said he would tour the country and would also request former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's widow Sonia to campaign for the party.

Asked whether he would contest the election, Kesri retorted, ''If you want me to contest at the age of 83, I can contest.''

Replying to a question as to who would be the Congress prime minister, Kesri said, ''It is matter of the future.''

Party leaders said the Congress would fight the elections with the Jain Commission interim report as its central electoral theme.

Regarding electoral tie-ups, indications are that Kesri and his men will persist with their efforts to rope in the TMC, the SP and the BSP, though all of them have ruled out the possibility. The Congress has already announced that it would tie up with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar.

Senior Congress leader Sharad Pawar pointed out that "we will give our best in the elections. That should fetch us good results."

According to senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee, an urgent Congress Working Committee has been called tomorrow to discuss the future course of action.

Asked whether they would be able to face the onslaught of the BJP, another senior party leader G Venkataswamy said, "The BJP has no presence in south India and in the North-East. The people know the Congress is the only national party."

As for the Bahujan Samaj Party, its supremo Kanshi Ram recently asserted that his party would not form any electoral alliance with either the Congress or the BJP for the general elections. Hence, the BJP's cherished desire to trigger a realignment of political forces has come to a nought.

Tara Shankar Sahay, Syed Firdaus Ashraf, UNI

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