NEW DELHI: V.P.Singh Saturday resigned from the leadership Of the Janata Dal parliamentary Party following a demand by senior party leader Ajit Singh and Set out broad principles for restructuring the party. _ V.P.Singh resignation comes in the wake of Ajit Singh’s letter to him demanding that all those who would anyway be above the proposed income and wealth Ceilings introspect and relinquish their posts. V.P.Singh resignation and his Setting out principles given a new turn to the differences between the two leaders which erupted after Ajit Singh’s criticism of the party leadership. In the statement the former prime minister wanted someone from the scheduled castes scheduled tribes backwards or minority to take over as JDPP leader and suggested that a commilice be set up to go into his proposal at the Puri convention in the north eastern Indian state of Orissa regarding the income and wealth ceilings for party posts.

Calling for democratization of the party and party elections based on genuine membership V.P.Singh also said he would abide by consensus on party posts and would not like to impose his will on anyone.

Narasimha Rao asks BJP to stop exploiting Rama’s name.

Meanwhile the Janata Dal political affairs committee (PAC) Monday virtually rejected V P Singh’s proposal for a ceiling on income wealth of party leaders holding posts describing itas not practical.

There was a general consensus among the Pac members that it would be practically impossible to impose a ceiling on leaders holding posts in the organization the Janata Dal spokesman Hari Kishore Singh told reporters.

V P Singh was not present at the meeting as he was indisposed the spokesman said.

Ajit Singh also stayed away from the PAC meetings as did George Fernandez Orissa chief minister Biju Patnaik and Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav Hari Kishore Singh said. The meeting lasted two hours

He said the PAC discussed the differences between V P Singh and Ajit Singh and felt that more efforts should be made by more leaders to resolve the crisis.

V.P.Singh and Ajit Singh two senior leaders of the Janata Dal have been at loggerheads for some time now. Reconciliation efforts had earlier fallen through.

Replying to questions Hari Kishor Singh said the PAC members felt that the party had not taken any decision on imposing a ceiling for leaders with party posts.

There was an overwhelming consensus among the PAC members that the proposal was not practical he said

He said the resignation by V P Singh from leadership of the Janata Dal parliamentary figured in the discussions with members expressing concern over the decision of the former prime minister.

However it was for the parliamentary party to take a decision in this regard he said.

To a question whether the four member committee of prof Madhu Dandavate Rashid Masood George Fernandez and Surendra Mohan had been disbanded Hari Kishor Singh said the PAC had never constituted the committee. It was an informal committee he said and added that the PAC felt there was a need for more efforts to resolve the differences between the two leaders.

The spokesman said the Dal president SR Bommai Monday constituted a 22-member preparatory committee for organizing a joint rally to be held in the capital on September 27 along with other constituents of the National Front as also the Left parties.

The rally would be held to mobilize public opinion on various issues Hari Kishor Singh said.

The committee headed by Bommai has among others V P Singh and Ram Vilas Paswan Aut Singh ac its members.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 30, 1991