The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : Q&A: Sharad Yadav

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

Q&A: Sharad Yadav

No NDA Government without us

The Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Janata Dal (United) leader, Sharad Yadav, is a veteran politician. A follower of socialist leader, Ram Manohar Lohia, he has been jailed several times for his involvement in various social and political movements. Excerpts from his interview with Gargi Parsai:

There is talk that you might contest from Chapra, besides Madhepura?

In the 30 years that I've been in the Lok Sabha, I have never contested from two seats. Earlier there was serious talk about me taking on the RJD president, Laloo Prasad Yadav, from Chapra as well. But now that the sitting BJP MP, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, has already filed his nomination from there I can't say.

Will the JD (U) president, George Fernandes, who has changed his constituency from Nalanda to Muzaffarnagar get the support of workers on the ground, considering that the sitting MP, Jainarain Nishad, who has recently joined the BJP, is upset?

Mr. Fernandes will not face any difficulty because there was overall agreement on his shift to Muzaffarnagar. That was the BJP's condition from Day 1. They said [that] if a leader of Mr. Fernandes' stature were to contest the seat, they'd leave it for [the] JD (U). When Mr. Fernandes came to know [of] this, he decided to contest from there. It was felt that if I contest from Madhepura and he from Muzaffarnagar, it will have a good impact on the party in north Bihar.

Was it a good decision to merge the Samata with the JD (U)?

Yes, that decision has worked to the advantage of [the] JD (U). Even in Karnataka, where there was an attempt to weaken us, we have got 28 Assembly and four Lok Sabha seats under the NDA alliance. The BJP's Arun Jaitley played a crucial role in working this out.

Have you got a fair deal with the BJP in seat-adjustment this time?

Yes, I would say so. The JD (U) has weakened at some places, so we should be reasonable in asking for seats. We have sought only those seats where we have [a] base and can win.

Last time you had contested 40 seats in alliance with the BJP and 20 on your own. What about this time?

About 55 or so. On our own we'll contest two each in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, one in Orissa, one in West Bengal and seven or eight in Tamil Nadu.

What is your poll strategy?

The NDA Government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee had 24 parties. Ours was the second largest party. We will go to the people with the work done by us in the last five years and with the assurance that [we] will complete the incomplete tasks with all sincerity and honesty.

In case the NDA is not able to form the Government, would you support a secular ...

There is no question of it. I can say with confidence that the NDA will come back with a comfortable majority. I don't want to be loud about it, but the work we have done ... and for the first time, the election is not on emotional issues of region, religion and caste. It not as though they are not there, but they are not centre stage.

Many people question your alliance with the BJP. The other day you said it was your compulsion to be with it.

No, I never said compulsion. Let me explain. No single party is going to get a majority and that is why the NDA was formed. To counter the NDA, the Congress has also formed a `secular' alliance. It is not necessary that all those who are part of that alliance share [the] Congress' thinking or ideology. Likewise, in the NDA, the policies and ideologies of the alliance partners such as the JD (U), the TDP, the Trinamool or the BJD are different. But we are contesting on the NDA agenda which will be formulated with the agreed views of all allies. The Government would run on that policy document not on any individual party's manifesto.

Will the JD (U) have a separate manifesto?

Yes, we will and that will have nothing to do with the NDA. We are contesting at several places on our own.

Is the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin an issue for you too?

I never comment on this.

Ram Manohar Lohia's birth anniversary celebrations could not unite socialists. Will they ever come together?

It should not be expected that all socialists would come together on Lohiaji's birthday or that one programme would be enough to bring them together. We have honest differences between us. Some feel that our joining hands with the BJP is not correct. But we feel that the `revolution' would be strengthened by different powers joining hands. Secondly, people are giving a united mandate and we feel that the BJP is our natural ally in our fight against the Congress and no non-Congress government has been formed without it. Just as today, a BJP-led government cannot be formed without us. We tell those who have joined the Congress, that they've joined hands with a party which is the root of all problems in the country and a party we've fought all our life. Why should we join the Congress and strengthen it?

Will it be resolved?

This is a process. An ongoing argument.

How many seats do you give to the JD (U) in Bihar and elsewhere?

That depends on [the] people. I don't speculate. I consider elections as the best weapon to educate [the] people.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National