M A I N   N E W S

Cong unwilling to compromise on leadership issue
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 12
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi is her party’s only Prime Ministerial candidate and this may well be non-negotiable.

There is no official word on this highly sensitive matter but indications are the Congress may not be willing to compromise on the leadership issue. The final word on this will be left to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi herself and unless she decides otherwise, the party will back her all the way.

To what extent the Congress is able to press its point will eventually depend on the number of seats it wins.

Party sources said if the Congress is able to breach the psychological barrier of 150 seats, it will definitely call the shots with its allies. In such a case, the Congress believes it will be easy to persuade the allies to fall in line as the verdict will be “sold” as a mandate for Ms Gandhi’s leadership.

On the other hand, if the Congress is unable to increase its tally substantially, it might become more difficult for it to push Mrs. Gandhi’s candidature. Nevertheless, the Congress will pitch for her on the plea that Mrs. Gandhi heads the single largest party of the alternative secular alliance.

Party insiders believe a non-NDA Congress-led government without Mrs. Gandhi as leader is not feasible. “The party cannot afford to have two power centres...that wil finish the Congress,” remarked a senior party leader.

Party sources maintained that except for NCP leader Sharad allies are likely to object to Mrs. Gandhi’s leadership. On the contrary, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, Lok Janshakti leader Ram Vilas Paswan, DMK supermo M. Karunanidhi and even Left Front leaders have all gone on record to say they have no objection to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister. The party believes that with assembly elections in Maharashtra due in October, Mr. Sharad Pawar may well be compelled to go along with the others.

Congress leaders, it is stated, have conveyed as much to CPM leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet. The latter, however, has advised that the Congress not raise this issue till the final results are out. It will be left to Mr. Surjeet, who is to iron out this issue with Samajwadi Party leader Mulayum Singh Yadav since he has taken on the task of bringing him on board the secular front.

The Congress, on its part, has adopted a calibrated approach on this issue. It started off by saying that the leadership of the secular alliance will be decided through a consensus after the elections. At one stage, the party also said Mrs. Gandhi would be its Prime Ministerial candidate if the Congress gets a majority on its own.

It subsequently changed tack, stating that the alternative non-NDA secular government would be led by the Congress on the basis of its numerical strength.

DMK not to join Cong-led govt
Arup Chanda
Tribune News Service

Chennai, May 12
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will not join a Congress-led government at the Centre, the DMK President, Dr M. Karunanidhi, said here today.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) at the DMK headquarters, Dr Karunanidhi said: “The DMK will not be a constituent of the Congress-led government at the Centre.”

Replying to a question, he said, “This is my personal opinion and I will put it across to my party.”

But he kept the options open and immediately modified his statement and added: “However, if the general council of the party comes up with a good suggestion, I am open to it.”

He implied that the DMK would extend support to a Congress-led government from outside and ruled out the emergence of a third front.

Asked whether his party would prefer a third front government, the DMK supremo said, “No. I do not see any possibility of a third front.”

Replying to another question about the DMK’s role if a 1996-like situation on the formation of a third front arose, he was emphatic and said the United Front experience was not likely to be repeated. Dr Karunanidhi said there was no question of supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led-National Democratic Alliance to form the government at the Centre.

New Delhi, May 12
A day before the declaration of election results, parleys between key political players were, overshadowed when Reliance Industries top boss Anil Ambani dropped in to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her residence this evening. The meeting lasted nearly 40 minutes.

There was no official word on the meeting but it did set off speculation about changing post-poll scenarios. “The Ambanis are major players in the corporate arena... maybe, they see the possibility of a political change,” remarked a senior Congress leader. Party sources maintained that Mr Ambani’s meeting was only a “social call”, meant perhaps to renew contacts with Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Congress insiders were also quick to point that this is not the first time that the Ambanis have called on Mrs Gandhi, stating it is an acknowledged fact that corporate houses like to maintain good relations with politicians of all hues. Party leaders did not think that Mr Ambani, who is a close personal friend of Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, had brought any message from that camp. It was stated that when CPM leaders and others are directly in touch with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, there was little need for such intermediaries.

In fact, Mr Yadav did meet CPM leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet at his residence today to discuss the possibility of his joining a non-NDA secular front. Congress spokesperson S. Jaipal Reddy coincidentally also called on the CPM leader, who is actively trying to bring about the formation of a secular front. Mr Reddy is learnt to have conveyed to Mr Surjeet and Mr Yadav that the Congress should lead the proposed alliance and that Mrs Gandhi is their choice for the Prime Minister’s post.

Former Prime Minister Chandrasekhar tonight backed Congress President Sonia Gandhi to head the new government in the event of formation of a non-NDA coalition.

Emerging from a meeting with Ms Gandhi, he said the leader of the non-NDA party becoming the largest group after the Lok Sabha elections should head the government.