NEW DELHI:A front of non-Congress, secular and democratic forces has started taking shape with the meeting between the former Deputy Prime Minister, Devi Lal, and expelled Congress leader, Arjun Singh, here last week.
Arjun Singh went to the Tughlaq Road residence of Devi Lal to inquire about his health and was closeted with him for more than an hour-and- a-half. While the former Human Re-source Development Minister said
“nothing much should be read into the meeting.” Devi Lal said that “Arjun Singh is the best person among the present lot of politicians in the present situation to lead.”
Devi Lal said Arjun Singh had come on his own and discussed with him the possibilities of strengthening secular and democratic forces in the country because the Congress was collapsing. Devi Lal said there was utter confusion in the country at the moment and he would sincerely make fresh efforts to bring non-Congress, secular forces together once again. He regretted that his experiment in 1989 had failed. But now he would not join hands with the BJP although there were some good leaders in that party.
The meeting between Devi Lal and Arjun Singh assumes significance in the backdrop of certain statements and reports appearing in a section of the Press that the former HRD Minister would be forming a new party. Although Arjun Singh has persistently denied that he would be floating a new party, these statements and developments have led political observers to believe that these efforts will take concrete shape after the results of assembly polls in six states are known next month.
A senior Janata Dal leader, Ram Vilas Paswan, is already on record of having said that his party is not averse to supporting Arjun Singh provided he is willing to dissociate his politics from the widow of the late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, and dump Kalpnath Rai. Several Janata Dal leaders were in touch with Arjun Singh lately and have been discussing the possibilities of his leading the third force in the country. Since former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh is not inclined to enter the electoral battle for the next Lok Sabha poll and is not keeping good health, the National Front-Left parties have been discussing the possibilities of joining hands with Arjun Singh.
Arjun Singh has made it clear to these opposition leaders that he will first try to split the Congress party in -the event of its defeat in the assembly elections and then he may join hands with them. He will formulate his strategy sometime in March and give it a concrete shape by May 10. One of the close confidants of Arjun Singh revealed that he would be floating his new party claiming to be the real Congress sometime in May.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 3, 1995
