CHANDIGARH: Mr Bansi Lal former chief minister of Haryana State Wednesday said the Congress-I would split over the leadership issue.
Bansi Lal a veteran congressman who formed the Haryana Vikas party after being expelled from the Cong (I) on the eve of the elections told newsmen the Cong (I) will not get the sympathy vote after the assassination of Mr Rajiv Gandhi.
Mr Bansi Lal said the Janata Dal would be the gainer in the rural areas while the BJP will do well in the urban areas. The Janata Dal will make a clean sweep in Bihar he claimed.
Mr Bansi Lal who was defence minister in the Indira Gandhi cabinet and transport minister in the Rajiv Gandhi cabinet ruled out his rejoining the Congress-I.
However he said he might give a thought to it in case Mr V P Singh went back to Congress-I. The chances of such a possibility were remote he said.
Mr Bansi Lal also did not rule out the possibility of realignments after the elections. But at present there were no indications whatsoever he said.
The former Haryana chief minister said though the Cong-I and his HVP appear to be neck and neck in the battle for ballot the HVP-Janata Dal alliance would get sufficient majority to form the government in Haryana next month
He said there was no question of having any alliance with the Congress-I or the BJP or any other party which was opposed to the HVP-Janata Dal alliance in the matter of forming the government in the state.
Mr Bansi Lal accused Mr Devi Lal and his son Mr Om Prakash Chautala of misusing the state machinery.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 7, 1991
