Mahajot shelved for now

By Angana Parekh

NEW DELHI, APRIL 25. The controversial ``grand alliance'' in West Bengal has been shelved as far as civic elections are concerned, it was announced tonight, after a meeting between Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Congress(I) president, and A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhary, Bengal unit chief.

But Mr. Chaudhary, a strong advocate of the alliance, made it clear that the proposal for an understanding with the Trinamool Congress was very much alive and would be pursued vigorously for the Assembly elections next year in order to defeat the ruling CPI(M). ``We all agreed that the `mahajot' has come to stay.''

However, Mr. Choudhary said for the next month's civic polls, it would not be possible to extend the `mahajot' principle everywhere because of time constraints; ``but wherever possible, we will try to follow it.'' In reply to questions, the PCC chief said the Congress(I) would indeed oppose the BJP _ a shift from his ambivalent position yesterday.

The development comes as a victory of sorts for Ms. Gandhi. She has managed to hold the State unit together by putting the `mahajot' proposal on the back-burner; and has succeeded in extracting an assurance from Mr. Chaudhary that the Congress(I) will put up candidates against the BJP. This would go some way in protecting the party's secular credentials.

Earlier in the day, she categorically said that the Congress(I) would have no direct or indirect understanding with the BJP.

A formula was worked out this morning when Mrs. Prabha Rau, AICC general secretary in charge of the State, and her predecessor, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, met Mr. Chaudhary and Mr. Somen Mitra. It was explained to the Bengal leaders that the Congress(I) would have more bargaining leverage with the Trinamool Congress for the Assembly elections if discussions on alliance were conducted after the civic poll results were announced.

As expected, the civic polls will be a free for all. Since there was no clarity on the mahajot, candidates of most parties have already filed their papers the last date for nominations being tomorrow. April 28 is the last date for withdrawals.

Mr. Chaudhary and Mr. Mitra met Ms. Gandhi in the presence of Mrs. Prabha Rau and Mr. Azad. The PCC chief described the 30- minute meeting as ``satisfactory''. He also said Ms. Gandhi gave the green signal for the grand alliance.

The original `mahajot' proposal floated by Ms. Mamata Banerjee envisaged an anti-Left alliance which included her party, the Congress(I) and the BJP. Today, Mr. Chaudhary evaded questions on whether the BJP would be part of the grand alliance.

The Trinamool Congress' alliance with the BJP ``does not disturb us for the moment'', Mr. Chaudhary said. ``The Trinamool Congress has an understanding with the BJP. We have nothing to say on that. We are going to have an understanding with the Trinamool Congress, not the BJP.''

Clearly, there is no consensus on this stand within the Congress(I). Earlier in the day, the AICC spokesperson, Mrs. Margaret Alva, ruled out any alliance with the Trinamool Congress as long as it remained part of the NDA. (This is the stand taken by senior party leaders like Mr. Rajesh Pilot and Mr. Madhavrao Scindia.)

At the same time, Mrs. Alva said both Trinamool Congress and the TDP were ``not at all communal'' though they were BJP allies. These two parties might have had electoral adjustments with the BJP but they did not subscribe to its ideology, she added.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : T.N. Governor commutes Nalini sentence
Next     : SC clears Jayalalitha trial