NEW DELHI: Janata Dal leader V.P. Singh has signaled to Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda that the question of Congress participation in the Government could not be a unilateral decision. “The opinion within the Janata Dal itself and the sentiments of the Left and regional parties would have to take into, account. Nothing could materialize without a consensus,” Mr. Singh said. Mr. Singh was reacting to queries whether Mr. Gowda was “bailing out’ Congress Parliamentary Party leader P.V. Narasimha Rao in various cases as the Prime Minister needed support from various Congress factions in the event of the party’s participation in Government. Though Mr. Singh refused to give direct answers or queries pertaining to the Rao episode, his unhappiness with the Government for handling the issue was apparent as he seemed to be only reserving his judgment till Thursday. Indicating that he was biding his time. He said: “One should not comment on the surgeon in the middle of an operation, this should be done only after the stitches are put.” He was responding to a question “whether the UF Government was sincerely pursuing cases of corruption. By his observations, he has sought to put Mr, Gowda and his aides sufficiently off-balance. Mr. Gowda has been criticized for being more receptive to the needs of the Congress than the UF partners. Mr. Singh’s statements indicate that he has thrown his weight behind some Fronts partners like the Telugu Desam Party, and the Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam who have been rubbed the wrong way by Mr. Gowda. By advocating consensus among the regional and the Left parties, which find themselves closer to Mr. Singh, the former Prime Minister has clearly put a spanner in the plans.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1996
