The Hindu : I can prove majority any time: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 15, 2002

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I can prove majority any time: PM

By Neena Vyas

PANAJI APRIL 14. Two clear messages were sent out by the Bharatiya Janata Party from here today. The first was that there was no danger to the Vajpayee Government — if necessary the party was willing and able to find new friends — and that it had accepted the challenge from the main Opposition party and would "carry the battle into the Congress fold".

The concluding session of the party's three-day national executive committee meeting was clouded by the prospect of what its strongest friend of the last four years, the Telugu Desam Party, may do in Hyderabad. After the Prime Minister's telephone call to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief, Chandrababu Naidu, late on Saturday, this morning the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, spoke to him. This despite the fact that last night's "invitation" to Mr. Naidu by the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, to come to New Delhi to sort matters out met with zero response. Irrespective of a TDP decision on the withdrawal of support, the party's political managers here were confident that the Vajpayee Government would pass the test of numbers in the Lok Sabha even if its credibility took a beating.

"The TDP is free to take any decision," the BJP president, Jana Krishnamurthi, said. "I will comment on the situation only after the decision comes." Referring to Mr. Naidu's reported comments, he said that the timing of election in a BJP-ruled State was "beyond the scope of any NDA ally or partner". There was a strong signal that the BJP was now ready to do business with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh by helping crown Mayawati as Chief Minister provided the BSP returned the favour at the Centre by supporting the Vajpayee Government in a no-confidence motion. Mr. Krishnamurthi's response to a question on whether his party would go looking for new ''friends'' elicited the response: "Wait for further developments."

Mr. Krishnamurthi said that the BJP parliamentary board could meet to review its earlier decision to sit in the Opposition in Uttar Pradesh. He would also keep in mind the BSP leader, Kanshi Ram's formula — that the BSP could support the Vajpayee Government if Ms. Mayawati was made the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

Earlier this morning, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, stated that he could prove his majority "any time" even as party leaders anxiously awaited a decision in Hyderabad. Concluding the executive committee meeting, Mr. Vajpayee assured the party that there was no danger to his Government.

However, admitting that the BJP was passing through critical times, he said the need of the hour was "unity in the ranks" and that "indiscipline should not be countenanced". Victory and defeat were part of the political game. The party had faced similar situations earlier also and would come out of the present crisis. He discouraged any attempt by individuals to play the blame game, pointing out that all decisions were taken collectively and that this mechanism should be strengthened.

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