Congress, Left may clash over new UF government

George Iype in New Delhi

The four Left parties -- the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Forward Bloc -- have threatened to pull out of the United Front if the Congress is allowed to join the new government.

Political circles fear that the new government, even with a replacement for H D Deve Gowda as demanded by Congress chief Sitaram Kesri, will not last long, as the Left and the Congress appear to be on a collision course.

The Left wants the Congress in the same position it held 10 months ago -- providing unconditional support to the UF government from outside, says CPI-M Politburo member Ramachandra Pillai.

"All the Left parties are categorical that we will not remain in the Front if the new prime minister invites the Congress to join his government," said Pillai, adding that the Left would make this point clear during the UF steering committee meeting on Friday where Deve Gowda's succesor is to be chosen.

Many believe that the Left's discomfort about Congress participation in the new UF set-up is more practical than ideological. "We fear that if the Congress is allowed to join the government, it will certainly hijack the UF coalition in course of time," one senior Left leader admitted.

More importantly, the Left is putting more pressure because it seems likely that Tamil Maanila Congress chief G K Moopanar, who is known to have a soft spot for the Congress, might emerge a consensus prime ministerial candidate on Friday.

"We see Moopanar as a committed Congress supporter as he is still technically a Congress member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha," said one CPI-M leader. But Left sources clarified that they would not oppose Moopanar's candidature if he emerges as the choice of the UF constituents.

"We are not worried who will be the prime minister. We will not allow the Congress to participate in the government," said CPI national secretary D Raja. UF strategists believe the stubbornness of the Left could effectively spike the guns of Congress president Sitaram Kesri, who has been trying to get some concessions from the Front.

Oddly, the suggestion that the Congress should join the government to ensure the durability of the coalition came from former prime minister V P Singh.

The Left parties reiterated on Thursday that the Congress should withdraw its letter to President Shankar Dayal Sharma before the UF considers changing its leader.

Meanwhile, the UF continued hectic negotiations to resolve the leadership issue. Deve Gowda and his aides are trying to ensure they have the final word on the choice of the new leader. Deve Gowda has the tacit support of all the Left parties, the Asom Gana Parishad, the National Conference and at least 20 MPs of the 45 member Janata Dal parliamentary group. Sources said Deve Gowda has the support of more than 90 MPs in the UF combine.

His friends include Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Srikanta Jena and other ministers like Jai Prakash Nishad, Devendra Prasad Yadav, Ramakant Khalap, Sheesh Ram Ola and Satpal Maharaj.

With Deve Gowda and his friends muscling in, the UF might find it difficult to anoint a new leader during the steering committee meeting without his full approval.