The Hindu : National : BJP-JD(U) tensions at flashpoint

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 13, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

BJP-JD(U) tensions at flashpoint

Neena Vyas

“BJP will at best make a token gesture to ally in Karnataka”

NEW DELHI: Tensions between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) have reached a flashpoint with no sign as yet of seat-sharing talks for the Karnataka Assembly elections. Last week BJP president Rajnath Singh categorically said the two parties would be alliance partners.

On Saturday, a senior BJP leader said the JD(U) had not turned up for talks “and if they do not show up on Sunday the party will go ahead and declare its candidates for all 224 seats.” The BJP is so sure of its ground that it is ready for a showdown even in Bihar. “Will they endanger their own government led by Nitish Kumar? Their government survives with our support,” one leader warned.

From the BJP point of view, the JD(U) in Karnataka is utterly depleted. Four of the five MLAs it had in the last Assembly have gone out looking for greener pastures and its senior leader Basavraj Bommai, son of the former Chief Minister S.R. Bommai, is now a BJP candidate. Only one JD(U) member of the dissolved House, J.C. Madhuswamy, is still with the party.

“Party weak”

BJP leaders here indicated that there was “no question” of their party giving the JD(U) 25 seats, the number it contested in the last election. Today it is so weak in the State that the BJP could “at most” give it a few token seats, a party leader said.

On Friday, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said the party would decide its “future course of action” after a parliamentary party meeting. Dark hints were thrown in that the JD(U) could do to the BJP in Bihar what the BJP was doing to it in Karnataka.

However, it seems the BJP’s decision to virtually ignore the JD(U) in Karnataka stems from the “shabby treatment” it received in Bihar. No Cabinet expansion has taken place though the BJP wanted it. Apparently, the JD(U)’s excuse is that the exercise would many more aspirants dissatisfied. A suggestion that an expansion should take place to accommodate BJP aspirants was turned down.

BJP leaders pointed out that their party had made a mistake in Bihar, allowing the JD(U) to grow at its expense. “In 1995, the BJP was much larger than the Samata Party [which later became the JD(U)]; 10 years later we became the junior partner. We will not repeat that mistake.”

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

National