Panicky UF leaders contact Kesri

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Realising the Deve Gowda government had a very short life, some senior United Front leaders are said to have begun secret negotiations with Congress president Sitaram Kesri the night before the vote in Parliament.

Referring to secret phone calls allegedly made by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to the Congress leader on Thursday night, a Communist Party of India-Marxist leader said such behaviour was "disgusting."

Chidambaram allegedly collected some of his UF colleagues and approached senior Congressmen to convince them that a large section of the ruling combine did not wish to be forced into the vote of confidence and that they were ready to put up a leader to replace Deve Gowda.

However, Kesri and his supporters apparently sought an assurance in writing, at which Chidambaram balked.

The UF coalition, looking united till now, is beginning to show signs of cracking. While professing complete solidarity with Deve Gowda outwardly, Chidambaram hinted he would like the chief of his Tamil Maanila Congress, G K Moopanar, as prime minister. Other UF leaders are also pushing Moopanar forward as Deve Gowda's possible replacement since he is acceptable to both the Congress and the ruling combine.

Yet another name making the rounds for the prime minister's post is External Affairs Minister Inder Kumar Gujral.

Ultimately, the UF leaders trying to replace Deve Gowda, found out about each other's negotiations with the Congress leadership and shot each other’s plans down.

According to a Janata Dal member of the Rajya Sabha, it was because the prime minister learnt of his colleagues's schemes that he opted for a vote in the Lok Sabha.