Bruised TMC wants to straighten out the Left and strengthen the Front

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

Is the Tamil Maanila Congress targetting the Leftists, particularly the CPI-M, for denying them the prime minister's post? Though the TMC by itself does not have any such intentions or gameplans, the party's reiteration of its stand that all supporters of the United Front should join the Gujral government may lead to the logical conclusion of the Leftists having to leave the alliance, according to informed sources.

''No, it is not a vindictive or revengeful action,'' clarifies a TMC leader, referring to the Leftists's steadfast opposition to party leader G K Moopanar becoming prime minister. ''It is only to strengthen the United Front further, and ensure the longevity of the Gujral government,'' he adds, pointing out that Moopanar had insisted on such an arrangement long before the fall of the Deve Gowda government, when his name had not cropped up.

In this context, the TMC leader refers to Moopanar's statement on Tuesday, declaring the party's decision to rejoin the United Front government at the Centre. ''If you recall, there is absolutely no reference to the prime minister's selection in the long statement, not even to the Leftists's appeal asking us to reconsider our earlier stand of not joining the government. Moopanar says that he treats the prime minister's selection issue as a closed chapter, and there is no reason why anyone should suspect him on that count.''

As party sources point out, there is no way the TMC could influence any United Front partner on ejecting one party or another, even if Moopanar wanted. ''We stood sadly isolated on the prime minister's selection, and despite the protestations to the contrary by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, even the DMK was not with us. We have learnt our lessons, and should be considered fools if we think we are more important than any other constituent of the United Front.''

However, the TMC leader adds that neither could the CPI-M, or the Left Front as a whole, assume a greater-than-life image for themselves in the United Front. ''Even after the Gujral government was sworn in, the Leftists have been acting like a 'super Cabinet'. This, after their dubbing the proposed coordination committee between the Congress and the United Front as a super Cabinet.''

In this context, he refers to the Leftists's proposals on the Budget ''which has been whole-heartedly welcomed by all sections'', and their going to town on the fodder scam controversy involving Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, without taking the issues up with the United Front steering committee. ''This is irresponsible behaviour, which needs to be checked at least at this late hour, unless we have not learnt anything from the Deve Gowda fiasco,'' the above-quoted TMC leader said.

Though the TMC does not wish it to happen, party strategists do not rule out the possibility of the Leftists parting company with the United Front, if Moopanar gets the support he deserves for the Congress joining the ministry. ''The Congress is more than willing to join the government, but it is the CPI-M that is following a dog-in-the-manger policy. It will not join the government, nor will it let the Congress join. Not that the CPI-M joining the Gujral government would do the trick. We still require the Congress to be in it, if the government has to be stable.''

The TMC's moves in this regard are motivated mostly by its own political compulsions. For starters, the party does not want to be seen as a rejoining a coalition government, after the all the fuss it made and the opposition from the cadres, which will collapse after three or six months. More importantly, the party needs time to build up its base and organisation in Tamil Nadu, before it is ready to take on the DMK and the AIADMK on its own.

''For this," the TMC leader says, "we require time. As the DMK government is stable in the state, we have to ensure the stability of the Union government and the United Front to avert a snap poll to the Lok Sabha, where we now need the DMK.''

Behind the TMC's calculations is the ground reality that the United Front could survive without the Leftists's support if the Congress is made to feel at home. In the company of the Congress, the United Front could still account for a simple majority in the existing Lok Sabha even if all 53 members of the Left Front withdraw support.

''That will also ensure a broad consistency in the government's approach to various issues without the out-of-turn interference by the Leftists, which has proved to be a constant source of embarrassment to the Front and its government,'' says the TMC source.

However, he hopes that better sense would prevail over the Leftists in the coming months, making them work in union with other constitutents of the United Front and the Congress. This would enable the United Front to take on the BJP during the next election. ''For this, the CPI-M in particular should end its 'Big Brother' attitude, of which it has constantly been accusing the Congress.''

The TMC sources also foresee the possibility of such smaller parties like the Asom Gana Parishad going along with the Left Front in case the latter walked out of the United Front. ''It makes political sense for the AGP to side with the Left Front, given the local equations, but that may not be the case with a mainline regional party like the Telugu Desam, which is also facing opposition from the Congress in Andhra Pradesh. Some viable mechanism should be worked out for greater co-operation between the TDP and the Congress, which will ensure a clean sweep for the United Front in Andhra Pradesh, whenever an election is held.''