Pawar and Rao prepare to join ranks against Kesri

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in New Delhi

A new alignment of forces in the Congress party is on the cards with Sharad Pawar and P V Narasimha Rao's supporters waiting to strike if Sitaram Kesri fails to form a government at the Centre.

Kesri's decision to withdraw support to the United Front did not go down well with many Congressmen who believe a mid-term election is inevitable if the party fails to prove its majority in the Lok Sabha. The feeling is if that happens, the Congress will win far fewer seats than the 144 it won in last year's general election.

Despite this, one Pawar associate, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Rediff On The NeT that it is a win-win situation for the Maharashtra politician. If Kesri proves he has a majority, Pawar will become a member of the Union Cabinet and possibly the second-most powerful man in the country.

If Kesri's gambit fails, the Congress president will be compelled to resign, paving the way for Pawar to take over as party leader.

Once that happens, Pawar will strike a deal with the United Front, allowing the Congress to enter the coalition and winning the post of deputy prime minister.

Pawar, who was not informed of Kesri's decision to withdraw support on Sunday, backed down and toed the Congress president's line the next day. He is clearly being cautious this time after being twice outsmarted by Narasimha Rao.

''He has realised his mistake. He was far too ambitious then. He lost the defence ministership and was relegated to being leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly after the Congress lost the March 1995 election. It is only now that he is holding a post of his stature," adds the Pawar associate. Kesri awarded the leadership of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha after the Maratha decided not to contest the election for the Congress Parliamentary Party leadership in January.

Those who know Pawar recall how he betrayed his mentor Yashwantrao Chavan in 1978. Pawar promised Y B Chavan that he would support Vasantdada Patil's candidature for the Maharashtra chief ministership. The very next day, he split the Congress to form a coalition government on his own.

On Monday evening, soon after he backed Kesri publicly, Pawar is learnt to have refused the Congress president's request that he canvass the Telugu Desam Party's support by speaking to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Pawar begged off, saying he had never met Naidu.

Pawar, who is said to enjoy the backing of about 30 Congress MPs, is now trying to win support from the Rao camp which has been completely sidelined by Kesri in recent months.

In this initiative, he has the support of his former ally, Suresh Kalmadi who switched sides and joined the Rao camp in 1995. Kalmadi has once again built bridges with Pawar and is in constant touch with the Maratha leader about the current developments.

"During times of crisis," Kalmadi told Rediff On The NeT, "Every Congressman speaks in one voice. When the party is in crisis we will all join hands to save it.''