NEW DELHI: Only a miracle can save the BJP led Indian government from collapsing. Atal Behari Vajpayee who was swom in Prime Minister last week has been asked by the Indian President Shankar Dayal Sharma to have his claimed majority Support in the Lok Sabha tested by May 31.

The Lok Sabha is meeting later this week first to undertake certain formalities like oath taking by 537 members individually which will consume two days and later to hold election to the presiding officer of the house.

Initially, when Sharma sprang a surprise by inviting Vajpayee to assume office, the BJP camp was jubilant. ‘The President came under attack from the united front partners for inviting Vajpayee without ascertaining whether he had majority support. Sharma’s reported plea was that he ‘went by the unwritten rulebook which says he should first give an opportunity to a party that has the largest numbers behind it.

The BJP leadership tried to get support from regional parties, none responded except for the Parkash Singh Badal Jed Akali Dal. It sent out Barnala persuade Assom Gana Parishad as well as the Karuna Nidhiled Tamil Nadu party. But all the regional parties gave the Akali leader a rebuff. It is also reported that the BIP drafted numerous industrial houses to win over a section of Congress MPs butin vain,

The Prime Minister’s camp has almost given up hope of proving an mg jority in the house, Instead the party is preparing to bow out of office in a graceful mariner.” The stress is on presenting the BJP ministers’ image as efficient, clean and clearheaded. The party’s last hope is somehow to continue minority government on the strength of a 10year national program of reconstruction to be spelled Out by Vajpayee in the Lok Sabha, next week.

The party has found to its dismay that it is totally isolated in the country, No party, big or small, is willing to touch it even with a pair of tongs, The only exception are the Akalis, The party has been dubbed as ant minority, communal and fundamentalist, ‘There are hints that the party may have to reassess its Hindu religious image in view of the fact that India will have to contend with multiparty Coalition government in the coming few years. The party cannot afford to stay untouchable for all times to come.

No wonder slogans like “Jai Shriram’ ii Jat Srikrishna™ are no longer being raised by leaders. In the meanwhile Vajpayee’s law minister Jethmalani is preparing a file on Rao to be left for the successive government to handle, since most probably it will be a Janata Dal led joint front government, it will have to, either sit over the file or take action against Rao. In either case, the government will be embarrassed, according to the Jethmalani plan, the party is also making a virtue of its compulsion and is planning to support Congress nominee P.A. Sangma for the Post of Lok Sabha Speaker. Sangma has the backing of the United Front Constituents.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 22, 1996