NEW DELHI: Taking a clear and. categorical stand the Janata Dal has decided to vote against the economic policies of the minority Congress-I government headed by P.V Narasimha Rao on the floor of Parliament during the budget session.

“The national executive of the party finalized its position vis-avis the Narasimha Rao government on the penultimate day of its two-day session on Monday declaring that the Janata Dal was prepared to face any eventualities including the elections. There is no question of support to the Congress-I government. “The battle lines are drawn” the party spokesman Hari Kishore Singh told journalists.

Having made up its mind after some dithering the national executive views that the policies are going to be a catalyst for political mobilization. On Sunday the Janata Dal __president S.R. Bommai had hinted that the party was not averse t0 a Vote against the government at the Center and that they should be prepared to face elections.

Keeping in mind the new strategy the national executive has drawn up an organizational as well as agitational plan to strengthen the party to the grass roots level and to launch a time-bound agitation to mobilize public opinion.

As a part of a strategy. The national executive in a resolution emphasized the need for India to adopt genuine federalism and urged the Prime Minister to urgently convene a special meeting of the inter-state council to Work out the required division of powers and authority between Union states and on federalism and was moved by the Chief Minister of Orissa Biju Patnaik and seconded by Madhu Dandavate.

“The Ajit Singh camp on Monday urged the Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj V-Pail to review his decision to allot a separate seat for the expelled Janata Dal leader in the light of the party’s stand in the Delhi High Court on Monday.

Rasheed Masood spokesman of the group told reporters that this had become necessary since the expulsion of the four MPs by party president SR Bommai had become “infructuous” after the “fresh resolution” to this effect by the national executive on Sunday.

He said the national executive meeting was “illegal” and it had also not followed procedures in making such a decision.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 31, 1992