Surjeet Loses Out As Gujral Keeps Politicians Away

Prime Minister I K Gujral appears to rely more on chosen bureaucrats rather than politicians, even those within his party. Ministers and leaders of the United Front are sore that he has kept politicians at a distance.

The only exception seems to be S Jaipal Reddy, Union minister for information and broadcasting. Front sources say Reddy is perhaps the only ministerial colleague whom Gujral consults often.

A politician known more for his intellect than a political base, either within his own party or among the masses, Gujral has kept politicians at arms length. Consequently, several politicians who used to have a prominent role when HD Deve Gowda was at the helm, no more enjoy the same clout.

The most notable person who seems to have lost out is CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet. He was Gowdas chief trouble-shooter and was once hailed as the super Prime Minister. But today he is conspicuous by his absence from the corridors of power.

Just after Congress president Sitaram Kesri withdrew support to the Gowda government, a senior Front leader had remarked that had Surjeet been in New Delhi, this would not have happened.

Things are different today. With Gujral in office, Surjeet has maintained a distance from the government, and has lost no opportunity in taking up cudgels against it. The differences between Surjeet and Gujral are both ideological and political, a Front leader said. He added that ideological difference stemmed from a difference in their perception of the Punjab problem.

Surjeet was not so firm against the militants, he was for a dialogue between the militants and the government. On the contrary, Gujral did not want any compromise with the militants, the leader explained.

Differences between Gujral and Surjeet have their origin in the events that followed the fall of the Gowda government, and the consequent search for a new leader. Surjeet was lobbying for Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to take over from Gowda, a proposal that was shot down by Janata Dal leaders Laloo Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav.

While Surjeet never opposed Gujrals candidature, he was not very keen to have him as the Prime Minister, and made no secret of his displeasure after Gujral took over.

Surjeet had said that since the communal threat of the BJP was more pronounced in north India, he wanted a north Indian leader to be at the helm as elections were imminent.

Apart from Surjeet, others who have fallen from political grace include Union ministers Srikant Jena and CM Ibrahim, the leader said, and added that the clout of Union ministers P Chidambaram and Ram Vilas Paswan has remained unchanged. Since Gujral has been a diplomat, he was not at home in economic affairs. And Gujrals ignorance has become Chidambarams bliss. He does not interfere with Chidambarams work, another Front leader said.