Congress, UF falter on leadership issue

The first round of talks between the ruling United Front and the Congress got bogged down on Wednesday night with both sides sticking to their respective stands for leading the government at the Centre.

While the Front insisted that H D Deve Gowda should continue as prime minister, the Congress stuck to its stand saying it should lead the coalition government.

UF sources said the Congress negotiating team contended that the Front had led the government for the past ten months and now it was their turn to take over the leadership. The Front team's rejection of this demand led to the deadlock.

The discussions will resume on Thursday at senior Congress Working Committee member Sharad Pawar's home.

Nevertheless, the mood was optimistic at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's home where the discussions were held. Congress representatives expressed confidence that the crisis would be ''resolved.'' United Front convenor Nara Chandrababu Naidu added that the discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere.

The United Front delegation comprised Abdullah, CPI-M general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Naidu, Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Janata Dal working president Sharad Pawar. The Congress team consisted of A K Antony, Orissa Chief Minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, Pawar and Madhavrao Scindia.

The Congress line before the talks began were conciliatory. General secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told a National Students Union of India rally that the Congress was "prepared to forget and forgive the mistakes of the H D Deve Gowda government in the past ten months."

"We do not want a confrontation, but are interested in resolving the crisis and this is possible only through talks," he said.

The talks followed the dispatch of a formal invitation for discussions by UF convenor and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to Congress president Sitaram Kesri to end the current political crisis.

The crisp communication was handed over to Kesri by Welfare Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia.

The letter simply said 'in continuance of our informal talks, we feel the time has come for formal talks. We would like such talks at the earliest.'

The contents of the letter were decided at a two hour UF standing committee meeting at Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's home on Wednesday morning.

Indications after the UF standing committee were that the Front had ruled out the possibility of replacing Deve Gowda as well entering into a coalition with the Congress at this stage.

Soon after receipt of the letter, the Congress president convened a CWC meeting, hailing the Front's proposal for talks.

After the CWC meeting -- attended by among others Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, Patnaik, Himchal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Congress Parliamentary Party secretaries H Hanumanthappa, Prithiviraj Chauhan Mritunajaya Nayak, G Venkataswamy, Pranab Mukherjee, Kesri's political secretary Tariq Anwar and interestingly Kesri-baiters Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi and Suresh Kalmadi -- Kesri finalised his responce which read: 'I am pleased to inform you that we are prepared to have formal discussions with United Front representatives. Kindly let us know the composition of your team of persons with whom formal talks could take place.'

The CWC okayed the reply within a few minutes and dispersed. Only Rajesh Pilot in a brief intervention asked whether the CWC would finalise the bottom line for the talks.

Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes delivered Kesri's letter to Naidu.

As things stood, a senior UF leader observed that chances of a solution to the political tangle were ''fifty-fifty," adding ''such talks are always accident-prone.''

Last word on the score from the prime minister who told journalists that the UF leaders had conveyed in clear-cut terms to the Congress that there would be no change in the leadership. "The 13-party Front is fighting a political battle to face the present political challenge posed by some jealous people,'' he said.

"The next 48 hours are very crucial for the Front," Deve Gowda said. "Let us wait and watch. The situation is quite confusing.''