CANDHINAGAR: Chief Minister of Gujarat Chiman bhai Patel may have to seek a third confidence vote of the state assembly in eight months following his alliance with the breakaway group of Janata Dal.
According to legislative experts, this would become imperative for him if he was also expelled from the Janata Dal like Chandra Shekhar and some of his supporters.
Patel had taken the first confidence vote of the assembly after forming a coalition ministry of the Janata Dal and the BJP in March this year.
Considered a master strategist in political maneuvers, Patel initiated the move for a Janata Dal Congress I alliance from his own state and for the survival of his ministry.
He convincingly won the confidence vote in the legislature on November 1 with Congress I support after withdrawal of BJP from the state coalition government and its support to the federal government, following the arrest of BJP president L K Advani.
While the Janata Dal leadership in Delhi said it had not given permission to Patel to seek Congress I support, the Gujarat chief minister maintained that not only had he been given the permission but party president S R Bommai also congratulated him on winning the confidence vote.
Later, when the split in the Janata Dal became apparent, Chandra Shekhar clarified that he had asked Patel to seek congress I support.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 16, 1990
