Date:27/10/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/10/27/stories/2002102704890100.htm

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SP sounds Cong. on secular govt. in U.P.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI OCT. 26. Encouraged by the withdrawal of support to the Mayawati Government by eight independent MLAs in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is trying hard to get a commitment of support from the Congress for an alternative "secular government'' in the State.

The SP general secretary, Amar Singh, met the Congress leader in-charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs, Motilal Vora, in the morning for over 30 minutes, and later, the Congress leader, Manmohan Singh, to ask for a firm commitment of support for a "secular government'' in the State, to establish which his party would go to "any extent.''

Mr. Amar Singh has already stated in public that he and the SP chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, have sought a meeting with the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi. However, as the Congress is busy with talks on government formation in Srinagar, the top leadership is not expected to give its attention to U.P. just yet.

The CPI (M) and the CPI have let it be known that they support the idea of the Congress reacting "positively" to the SP's appeal. The view among the non-BJP and the non-NDA parties is that it is the right time to fell the BJP in the State.

There is a view in the Congress that it should not support the SP as it will lose from the alliance during the Lok Sabha elections two years from now, when the large Muslim minority will back it. Some BJP leaders are also banking on this, hoping that a clear-cut commitment to support an SP Government will not be forthcoming from the Congress. But it is being admitted by all concerned that a firm Congress commitment at this stage could give a certain momentum to the rebellion within the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party, not to mention other smaller groups.

On the other hand, the BSP and the BJP, partners in the Uttar Pradesh coalition, continue to say that their Government is stable even though the majority margin has been reduced to seven. And the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, is also reported to have indicated in Lucknow that he is in no mood to give in to the demand for calling an Assembly session to test the Mayawati Government's strength on the floor of the House. The coalition partners have openly warned that any attempt to destabilise the Chief Minister could mean fresh elections, a prospect that all the MLAs, cutting across party lines, would certainly want to avoid.

The BJP has been coping with rebellion in its State ranks, which surfaced after many of those who had hoped for ministerial berths were left out of the latest Cabinet expansion. The party general secretary and former Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, has been camping in Lucknow for the last several days, "persuading'' the dissidents to give up their defiant posture.

Although the BJP high command had issued a warning of "sternest action'' against defiant partymen, clearly it is not willing to precipitate matters by touching any of the MLAs and thus running the risk of further reducing the majority in the Assembly. It suspended an MLC on Friday.

All concerned in Uttar Pradesh are aware that once the political game starts, the situation could change dramatically overnight. And the BJP is not in a position to cry "foul'' as it had formed the previous Government by breaking several parties.