The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : Q & A : S.R. Bommai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 18, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

Q & A : S.R. Bommai

'people have seen through Deve Gowda'

The Janata Dal (United) leader, S.R. Bommai, who turns 80 in a couple of months, is one of the senior-most politicians in Karnataka as well as in the country. Anti-Congressism has been an article of faith of his four decade-old political career, in which he rose from a humble politician to a leading player on the national stage. Mr. Bommai, whose active political career has almost ended, talks to M. Madan Mohan on a variety of issues — the coming elections, the JD (U)'s prospects. Excerpts from the interview:

How do you view these elections?

The NDA will get a majority and come back to power. Individually, Atal Bihari Vajpayee has given a stable government to the country and the stability has resulted in growth and prosperity to the country to whatever extent possible. In thought and action, Mr. Vajpayee does not hurt anybody. He always carries everybody with him. Besides, the Opposition is hopelessly divided. There is no leadership and guidance. The projection of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, as its prime ministerial candidate is the weakness of the Opposition's approach, which has been a gain for the NDA.

You had been one of the critics of the Vajpayee Government. What made you become one of Mr. Vajpayee's admirers now?

The latest development in the Opposition camp made me do a rethink — about the future of the country. Mr. Vajpayee has been able to provide a stable leadership; and the Opposition lacks such a personality. In a way what Mr. Vajpayee has provided is a sort of collective leadership. The BJP may be wanting to pursue the Hindutva policy but not the NDA.

How do you view the increasing interplay of the phenomenon of Ayarams and Gayarams and its impact on the polity?

This only increases the confusion and instability among the party workers and more so in the case of the voters. It will damage the democratic fabric. The people will lose the faith in the political parties and this is going to prove disastrous for the country.

You were one of the votaries of the Janata Dal emerging as a viable third force in the country. Where did things go wrong?

It is a long story. The experiment became a victim of the egos of the leaders and the manner in which they pursued a personal rather than political agenda.

Coming to Karnataka, what prompted you to go in for a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP?

Everything had been worked out for the merger of our party with the Janata Party. I had been offered the national presidentship of the party too. But the Janata Party president, Subramanian Swamy, suddenly changed his mind and wanted the merger to take place after the election. It would have been different had the arrangement materialised.

Then, we had to approach the NDA convener, George Fernandes, and put the things before him. We had to go with one of the mainstream national parties. The defections within our party due to selfish aggrandisement had made it imperative for our party to keep its identity intact. I had to do this in the interest of the future of the several young leaders in our party.

What went wrong with the talk of the merger of the two factions of the Janata Dal in Karnataka?

A: It was a case of betrayal of the trust by the Janata Dal (Secular) leader, H.D. Deve Gowda. He really did not want a merger. He was only interesting in enticing individual leaders from our party to his camp He also wanted to concentrate power in his hands and was not prepared to share the posts such as the national and state presidentship of the party, the chairmanship for the parliamentary board and the authority to issue the B Forms with others.

Do you see any future for the JD (S) in Karnataka?

I don't think there is any future for the party in the State. The people of Karnataka have seen through Mr. Gowda's game. Nobody has betrayed northern Karnataka more than Mr. Gowda. His betrayal of the region has been more harmful than what S.M. Krishna has done.

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