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Subtle shift in Jaya stand poses no threat to BJP

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham chief J Jayalalitha has fired a carefully worded first salvo in months against the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre, for ''taking important decisions... unilaterally... without consulting the coalition partners''.

Her statement on Monday, criticising the liquefied petroleum gas price hike, differs to that extent from her earlier demands for rolling back the prices of ration rice, wheat and urea, effected last week.

''What precisely was the compelling urgency to hike the prices of essential commodities with such haste, even before the co-ordination committee meeting, scheduled for February 2, could take place?'' Jayalalitha asked. She pointed out that the meeting was scheduled to ''enable the leaders of the coalition parties to put forth suggestions to the Union finance minister, apropos of the Budget.''

''The people of the nation take us to task if the Centre's measures affect them in any way,'' Jayalalitha said. ''Because the Centre does not consult us and does not even bother to inform us while taking such major decisions, the onus of explaining the pros and cons of the situation falls on us, and we are at the receiving end from the public.''

Jayalalitha also made a pointed reference to the Indian Bank scam, in which some leaders of the Opposition Tamil Maanila Congress are allegedly involved. She wanted the Centre to unearth such cases wherein public funds have been lost, sparing the ''indignant and weaker'' sections, the 'onslaught' of price rise. Only that way can a ''strong India'' be built, she added.

Jayalalitha's statement, which referred to the LPG price rise, which she wanted to be withdrawn alongwith a roll-back of the prices of essential commodities and urea, is a departure from the recent past.

Both on the ration price hike and on the communal violence with particular reference to the gruesome killing of Australian missionary Graham Stewart Stains in Orissa, she had sought immediate action, without holding out any ''threat'' of the kind she issued on Monday.

''There is a subtle shift in the AIADMK stand with today's statement,'' says a party source. ''Yet, the Bharatiya Janata Party will have nothing to worry from us. Certainly, the AIADMK will not be the one to upset the apple cart for the Vajpayee government.''

Indications are that the party is keeping its options open, ''given the disquiet in the Telugu Desam Party, Trinamul Congress and the like'' that can cause the Vajpayee government's fall.

Jayalalitha is on record that her party will not be the cause for a mid-term poll to the Lok Sabha. This, she had declared more than once, even at the height of her strident stand against the BJP last year.

Party sources rightly interpret it to say that ''she is keeping a line open to the Congress, and would explore the possibilities of forming an alternative government should the Vajpayee government fall''.

Right now, the AIADMK strategy is to back the BJP government until it lasts, but look around for alternatives should it fall. However, the leadership is also aware of the non-BJP initiative within the coalition slipping into the hands of parties like the TDP. ''Hence, a strong statement like the current one,'' explains the party source.

AIADMK leaders stand by the genuineness of Jayalalitha's concerns, as expressed in her statements. As they point out, she has also had complaints against the Vajpayee government's ''unilateral decisions''.

''As a political party with a mass-base of its own, the AIADMK feels threatened by the electoral impact of unpopular measures like price hikes, particularly after the November assembly polls.''

Lately, Jayalalitha had warmed up to the BJP, after the Vajpayee government started defending her line in her Supreme Court case, challenging the Tamil Nadu government's special courts to try corruption cases relating to her chief ministership.

It was a ''marriage of convenience'' for both, with the Vajpayee government keeping its reported promise to help her out of her legal troubles to the extent possible, in return for her ''good behaviour'' as an ally.

That way, her decision not to be present personally at Tuesday's co-ordination committee meeting was seen as a move in the right direction. Obviously, she did not want to embarrass the BJP by letting the Delhi media to quiz her about her earlier statements against the Vajpayee government.

''But it has acquired a different, ambiguous meaning, after her statement of Monday,'' says the source. ''If you think, she is backing the Vajpayee government to the hilt, so be it. If you want to interpret it as an expression of her unhappiness with the goings-on, that again would serve her purpose.''

Similar is the interpretation of her decision to postpone the February 22 meeting of the AIADMK general council to April 2. ''The original date hinted at a possible review of the AIADMK's support to the Vajpayee government at the commencement of the Parliament session.''

The postponement thus meant a possible need for the AIADMK to review the situation, in the light of the proceedings of the Budget session, when other allies of the BJP were expected to hit out at the BJP for various commissions of the Sangh Parivar and the omissions of the Vajpayee government. ''But that too has acquired a new meaning now with Jayalalitha's latest statement.''

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