NEW DELHI: Veteran BJP lea der Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tuesday said he was confident of opposition forming a “stable and viable” government at the center.
He told PTI that the verdict had shown that the people had rejected the Congress (I) and that it should accept it gracefully and sit in the opposition.
Referring to the poll performance in North and South he said. “It is a serious matter and a repeat of 1977 elections”. Congress-1 has made a total sweep in the four southern states, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and has been wiped out from the northern states, particularly, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
A political gap had been created between North and South and that the new opposition government would try to bridge it by winning the confidence of the people in the south, he said.
Vajpayee said the results had shown that the policy of BJP to have its separate identity had fo und acceptance among the people.
He said seat adjustment between the Janata Dal and BJP had benefited both the parties in the elections.
He cited the opposition’s thumping victory in Rajasthan and Gujarat and said if the opposition have had joint campaigning and total seat adjustments in other northern sates, the Congress (1) would have been routed there as well.
Arson and looting continues in the curfew bound areas in the pink city despite army patrolling of the Streets, according to official sources.
Army was called out Monday night following incidents of violence sparked off when some people stoned the victory procession of Girdharlla Bhargava who was elected member of the Lok Sabha BJP ticket from the Jaipur con stridency.
Hung Parliament?
NEW DELHI: For the first time ever the possibility of India having a hung Parliament in an election has become a possibility, a factor which has thrown constitutional pundits into a quandary.
Translated this means that no party either the ruling Congress or the Opposition combine have an overall majority to form a government and are awaiting the president’s discretion to call upon them to do so.
Eyen in Britain, which is the role model for the Indian parliamentary system, a hung Parliaments a rarity having occurred on just three occasions, 1923, 1929 and more recently in 1974. In 1929 and 1974, however, the in cuabent prime ministers were per mitted to proceed with a minority government till special elections could be held.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 1, 1989
