NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister P.V, Narasimha Rao is not out of the reckoning as yet and very much in the game.

Although Rao is committed to pull down the BJP government and has extended support to H.D. Deve Gowda, his supporters are banking on Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma who has become a “copybook President” like his predecessor R. Venkitaraman.

Dr. Sharma has been telling all those who called on him in the recent past that he strictly followed the rulebook by inviting Atal Behari Vajpayee as he was the leader of the single largest. Party. Since his predecessor did not ask the support enjoyed by the leader of the single largest party in the House, he too did not opt for this course.

H, D, Deve Gowda, D.N, Dwivedi, Manoranjan  Bhakta, —V. Narayan swami, N.D. Tiwari and a number of others, who met him came back with the impression that the President will follow the course already laid down for him. And this possible scenario has raised hopes among the followers of Rao, A senior party functionary considered close to Rao said on the condition of anonymity, the “copybook President” will have to invite the leader of the second largest party (o form the government in the event of BJP failing to prove its majority. He explained that the Congress: Working Committee was committed to the formation of a government by secular parties. It was also felt by members that the ‘party should not stake its claim to form the government. It is in this context that a letter of support from “outside” in favor of H.D, Deve Gowda was also sent.

“But the CWC will have to consider developments afresh if PV. Narasimha Rao is invited to form the government as the leader of the second largest party,” said the function party. The party may revise its stand or reiterate its earlier view of outside support to Gowda.

But the concept of “outside” support may not find favor with the President as such experiments flopped twice in the past due to the unilateral with drawal of support by the Congress Party. Even if Deve Gowda is called on the basis of a letter from the Congress, the President will be within his right 0 suggest that a coalition be formed instead of outside support by the second largest party to 16party alliance, he said.

However, Rajesh Pilot is strongly opposed to the: concept of coalition government with the Third Front, ‘When asked about the track record of the Congress Party in withdrawing support, Pilot said, “I do not want to go into the past. We, sincerely, are helping the secular parties and we won’t let them down, We will not weaken our commitment.”

On the question of a common mit mum program, Pilot said these details were still to be worked out. There should be no problem on this issue. He declined to comment on the suggestion made by Sharad Pawar that Congress would not be averse to the concept of a coalition with the. Third Front. It is learnt that Rao is in touch with Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Moopanar.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 22, 1996