BJP to adopt wait and watch attitude
Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Delhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party has not decided whether it will stake a claim to form a government after the Congress withdrew support to the United Front government on Sunday.
In a hurriedly called executive meeting of senior party leaders on Sunday evening, the BJP decided to adopt a wait-and-watch policy.
The BJP, with 161 MPs in the Lok Sabha, is the single largest party in the 547-member House. Speaking to Rediff On The NeT, party vice-president K L Sharma said, "The BJP has a right to prove its majority in the
House" even before the Congress does. "But we are waiting to see what initiative President Shankar Dayal Sharma takes." The party had not been able to prove a majority after it formed a government last year. That government lasted only 13 days.
BJP leader and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee issued a statement on Sunday that a mid-term poll could not be ruled out. Significantly, the BJP cancelled its national executive meeting which was to be held in Thiruvananthapuram next week. It has been rescheduled for April 5 and 6 in New Delhi, so that leaders can be at hand to tackle any political situation that may emerge as a consequence of Sunday's developments.
With support from the Akali Dal, the Bahujan Samaj Party, Shiv Sena and other small parties, the BJP could have over 200 MPs backing it.
"It is up to the President to decide whether he will ask Prime Minister Deve Gowda to resign or not," said BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj.
"Right now our party is in the dark whether the President will invite us to form the government
or not. A clear picture will emerge only after a day or two," Swaraj said.
Rediff On The NeT has invited Somnath Chaterjee , the distinguished MP and leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, for a Chat to discuss the current political developments.Check out the Rediff Chat at 2000 hours IST (0930 hours EDT), on Tuesday, April 1.
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