NEW DELHI: The Congress feels that the BJP government will turn out to be an “eight day wonder” which will cease (0 exist the day it seeks the vote of confidence.

Without offering any comment on the President’s invitation (o BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee to form the government, the Congress party last week said ill was confident that the BJP government would not last.

AICC spokesman V.N.Gadgil, however, ruled out the possibility of the Congress party staking its claim in case the Vajpayee government failed to demonstrate its majority in Lok Sabha by May 31 as stipulated by the President.

“The precedent is that the second largest group should be invited, we have extended our support the Third Front and, therefore, it would be for the Presidential decide what he should do,” Gadgil said.

Earlier Congress President P.V. Narasimha Rao had hurriedly, summoned, a meeting of CWC leaders and other senior leaders after receiving a formal request from the newly elected Third Front leader H.D. Deve Gowda seeking Congress support. After 90minute discussions with his: ‘party men. Rao sent out letter to the President, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, ‘saying “the Congress Party in Parliament has decided to extend its support to H.D. Deve Gowda from outside.”

Gadgil said that he was not aware that the President had invited the BJP even before the Congress conveyed the decision of its informal party working support from outside to the Third Front headed by Deve Gowda in forming the new government.

“I cannot say about the timing (of the delivery of the Congress communication), I have no information whether it was delivered earlier or later,” he said in reply to queries, the meeting of Congress leaders, he said, concluded at 1:25 p.m.

Asked if the Congress felt that the President had shown undue haste in inviting the BJP leader to form the government, the Congress spokesman Said“*we have no comments to offer. Under the Constitution, the President has to decide who should be called (0 forms the government) and he has taken decision.”

The decision of the President came within an hour of an emergency meeting of senior Congress leaders including the Congress Working Committee members.

 Asked if the Congress support to the Third Force was unconditional or sue based, Gadgil said the letter written to the President did not mention President was aware of the Rao Deve Gowda meeting that morning and also that the Congress Working Committee had met and decided to support the Front Government. Front leaders argued that the President was aware of the parties’ positions days ago. In that case, why had he asked Gowda to bring a firm letter of support from the Congress, they asked, The President is believed to have retorted that he had acted according to the Constitution and called on the single largest party to form the Government.

West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu told journalists that when they had met the President last week, he had clarified that the CPI) M) would be part of the Government but would not allow any of its MPs to be ministers for the time being. The CPI (M) might reconsider its stand later, he said, Basu recalled that the President had asked them to see that Rao sent a more positive letter of support to the Front. After meeting the President, Surjeet said, “This will have a very bad effect on the political situation. The 15 days’ time given to the BJP will lead to horse-trading.”

Janata Dal leader Ram Vilas Paswan alleged that there was a secret understanding between the President and Narasimha Rao. Earlier in the day, jubilant Janata Dal MPs elected Deve Gowda as the leader of their Parliamentary party.

DMK and TMC leaders did not go with the delegation to Rashtrapati Bhavan Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Mulayam, Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Arjun Singh (Tewari Congress), Degrades Boro (Asom Gana Pan chad). Jyoti Basu .and Surjeet (CPIM). Indrajit Gupta and M. Farooqui (CPI) and Prakash Ambedkar (Republican Party of India) were there along with Janata Dal leaders Laloo Yadav. Deve Gowda, Wasim Ahmed, Sharad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan. Buta statement released by the Front, expressing shock and surprise at the President inviting Vajpayee, was signed by Front leaders and all regional party allies, including P. Chidambaram (TMC), Murasoli Maran (DMK) and Madhavrao Scindia.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 22, 1996