The Hindu : AIJD unlikely to merge with Janata Party

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 16, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

AIJD unlikely to merge with Janata Party

By S. Rajendran

BANGALORE MARCH 15. The All-India Janata Dal (AIJD) is unlikely to merge with the Janata Party headed by Subramanian Swamy in the light of Dr. Swamy's demand that he should be appointed chairman of the political affairs committee of the new party.

Sources in the AIJD told The Hindu here today that the party workers were opposed to "giving up" any important position to Dr. Swamy, though they would like to accept the offer of the Janata Party to part with its name and the popular symbol of a farmer carrying a plough. The AIJD was now in a difficult situation since the Election Commission was yet to register the fledgling party and assign it a symbol, leave alone grant recognition to it.

The JD(U) president, Sharad Yadav, and the Secretary-General of the JD(S), Bapu Kaldate, had opposed the registration of the AIJD with that name.

Dr. Swamy's offer has only added to the prevailing confusion in the AIJD. There are those who want the party to accept the offer and those who wish to maintain a distance from Dr. Swamy. A section of the leaders said: "It speaks volumes of his style of functioning. Even before there could be any negotiation leading to the merger, he has unilaterally stated which position should be given to whom. Therefore, the proposal cannot be carried to the logical end. It is quite obvious that Vijay Mallya would like to promote himself and relegate (S.R.) Bommai to the background.''

Conditions placed

The executive committee of the Janata Party met here on Friday under the leadership of Dr. Swamy, and unanimously resolved to welcome the merger of the AIJD with it. Of course, this was subject to conditions that Dr. Swamy be appointed chairman of the political affairs committee, S.R. Bommai should continue as the president, and Mr. Mallya, liquor baron and Rajya Sabha member, appointed working president of the party.

Nearly a month ago, Dr. Swamy held discussions with the AIJD chief and former Chief Minister, Ramakrishna Hegde, in the presence of Mr. Mallya. Dr. Swamy also held two rounds of discussions with Mr. Bommai.

Mallya's gambit

Mr. Mallya attended the executive committee meeting of the Janata Party though he is the vice-president of the AIJD. His interest in bringing about a merger of the two parties may have obviously prompted him to do so, but AIJD's senior leaders felt that Mr. Mallya had crossed the limits. "The AIJD is a democratic party with a collective leadership, and not an institution run by Mr. Mallya,'' they said.

That there was no disciplinary committee in the AIJD to oversee such issues (as a leader attending another political party's executive committee meeting) was, however, another matter. But senior AIJD leaders opposed to such actions said it was unethical for a leader to attend a meeting of another party.

Over the past few months, Mr. Mallya has been doing his best to strengthen the AIJD and work for a merger of the `Janata Parivar', but some of his actions have been seen as "immature and uncalled for' by a few AIJD leaders.

Meanwhile, the JD(U) Legislature Party is scheduled to meet on Monday, and reports have it that it will initially express reservations on the offer made by Dr. Swamy. The initial response may be quite guarded, and after at least a fortnight, the party may spurn the offer.

Efforts will be made to strengthen the AIJD at all levels, apparently before it can enter into any dialogue with the JD(S) headed by the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, prior to the Legislative Assembly elections due next year. The party workers are of the view that the Janata Parivar has to come together if it is to do well in the elections. The JD(U) Legislature Party meeting will endorse the decision to submit a letter to the presiding officers of the two Houses of the State Legislature, seeking allocation of a separate block of seats for its members. The letter will convey that the members have parted ways with the JD(S), but will not mention that they are associated with the AIJD, owing to certain legal implications.

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