Monday, Nov 15, 2004
Monday, Nov 15, 2004 |
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By Gargi Parsai
NEW DELHI, NOV. 14. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is meeting here tomorrow to discuss the issue of the Bharatiya Janata Party returning to Hindutva. The meeting had been sought by a partner of the alliance— the Janata Dal (United) — after its national executive committee, at a recent meeting in Ranchi, declared that the party would sever its ties with the BJP if the latter were to return to its Hindutva agenda. The issue follows the BJP president, L.K. Advani's remarks on Ayodhya at the party's national council last month. Subsequently, the NDA convener and JD (U) president, George Fernandes, met the NDA chairperson, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Mr. Advani and decided to convene the meeting tomorrow.
Ayodhya tangle
At the time, Mr. Fernandes had said that the NDA stood by its common agenda, which calls for resolution of the Ayodhya tangle either through dialogue or court order. He had also said that the JD (U) would go for a tie-up with the BJP in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar and Jharkhand. At the same time, he said voices within his own party for severing ties with the BJP were "individual opinions.'' This is the first meeting of the NDA after Mr. Advani took over as the party president. Although the BJP subsequently said that Mr. Advani did not say anything new in the national council meeting, the party is said to be under pressure from the RSS to keep up its Hindutva commitment. At its May national executive meeting in Mumbai after the Lok Sabha elections, it was stated that the party had not taken care of its "core constituency,'' which was taken to mean its "core ideology.'' Secondly, the JD (U) leader, Nitish Kumar, has stated recently that his party would be willing to accept the Lok Janshakti Party leader, Ram Vilas Paswan, as chief ministerial candidate, if he were to join hands with the JD (U) in the Bihar Assembly elections. Mr. Kumar's growing closeness to Mr. Paswan is meant to join forces against the RJD's Lalu Prasad. However, Mr. Paswan has publicly stated that he would not join hands with the JD (U) unless Mr. Fernandes left the NDA. Mr. Fernandes has been under pressure from his party leaders to sever ties with the BJP. The party members and cadres feel that the alliance with the BJP was a major reason for their poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha election. Of the 24 seats allotted to it in Bihar, the JD (U) won only six. The alliance may discuss the strategy for consolidating votes in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana tomorrow. It could also discuss the arrest of the Kanchi Acharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi.
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