Deve Gowda mishandled ties with Congress, says Indrajit Gupta

Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda ''mishandled'' relations with the Congress. That is why the United Front has now proposed an ''institutionalised machinery'' to Congress leaders, for better coordination in future, said Home Minister Indrajit Gupta.

The prime minister carried primary responsibility for the poor handling of relations with the Congress, Gupta said in an interview with a private television channel.

Deve Gowda "did not have the requisite experience. The prime minister failed to take the initiative, but then none of us were continually badgering him about it,'' he said, adding that relations with the Congress could have been handled better.

''Ours was a coalition backed by parties from outside whose support was essential for our survival. I agree that the handling of the relations between the two should have been much better. We should have some machinery for regular consultation and coordination, which was not there,'' he said.

Asked about his criticism of the Congress during the debate on the confidence motion, Gupta said he regretted it and would be ''more polite and diplomatic'' in future.

On his talks with Congress chief Sitaram Kesri, he said Kesri told him that ever since he became party president, Deve Gowda thought he was "a potential enemy or rival".

Gupta said the new United Front government would have to adopt a cohesive approach. There was need for much more careful handling of the opinions of different partners, he said, adding that they had to be consulted more frequently.

This was also sometimes not done by the prime minister, which is ''why some of the parties openly criticised the government,'' he said.