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By Harish Khare
After a meeting this morning of the NDA leaders at the Prime Minister's residence, the alliance managers exuded confidence that the motion would not only be defeated but that the coalition Government would be able to present a picture of unity behind Mr. Vajpayee's policies and leadership; at the same time, the NDA strategy would be to expose the rather fragile unity among the Opposition parties behind the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. All the NDA partners have issued a three-line whip to their respective Lok Sabha members to be present and vote with the Government.
TDP's support
The NDA Government got a ringing support from the Telugu Desam Party, the major outside supporter, as well as an assurance from the Bahujan Samaj Party, the BJP's partner in Uttar Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP boss, N. Chandrababu Naidu, decried the no-confidence motion move as "politically motivated and a waste of time". On the other hand, the Opposition ranks were relieved with the Nationalist Congress Party declaring itself to be in favour of the motion of no-confidence. The only ticklish problem for the NDA managers is how to hang on to the support of the DMK (an NDA ally since 1999) without having to spurn the 11-member AIADMK, a new and "unlisted" supporter. At the NDA meeting this morning, the DMK representative, T.R. Baalu, is reported to have questioned the very desirability of the alliance wanting to enlist the AIADMK's support. However, Mr. Baalu failed to get a categorical assurance that the NDA managers would not solicit the AIADMK's support. Later, the NDA convener, George Fernandes, made it clear that if the AIADMK wanted to support the Government there was very little anyone could do about it. Asked if the AIADMK had been asked to support the Government, Mr. Fernandes said that Jayalalithaa's party would be "approached, if necessary", putting the onus on the DMK to create the "necessary" condition. But as far as Mr. Fernandes was concerned he saw "no conflict of interest" if the two Tamil Nadu rivals were to support the Government. NDA sources indicate that the only concession that could be made to the DMK's sentiments is that an effort would be made to ensure the MDMK leader, Vaiko's presence and participation in the no-confidence motion debate. Mr. Vaiko has been languishing in prison under the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA); but the Centre has not been able to provide any aid and comfort to its Tamil Nadu allies. Finding himself in a quandary, the DMK leader and party president, M. Karunanidhi, was reported to have observed that the "DMK has not yet taken any decision" on the Left parties' call to vote against the Government. The Left has been nudging the DMK to break ranks with the NDA ever since Ms. Jayalalithaa has moved closer to the Vajpayee Government. Apart from having to cope with the DMK/AIADMK zero-sum equation, the BJP leaders were asserting that the debate would allow the Government to take its case to the people. The decision, for now, is to field almost all senior Ministers — including Mr. Fernandes — during the nationally televised debate. The Congress, on its part, will find itself in a quandary on how to react when Mr. Fernandes gets up to speak; so far, the Congress MPs have been boycotting the Defence Minister.
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