Congress Has Softened Stand, Says Cpm
The CPM yesterday said the Congress had finally climbed down by reiterating its support to the United Front with a new leader, as it had earlier staked claim to form government.
Asked whether the Congress letter to the President implied that the partys support to UF was unconditional, the CPM general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, said we wanted such a letter from the Congress.
Party politbureau member, Sitaram Yechury, said the Congress has finally climbed down now. It could have avoided all this, had it taken this step earlier.
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Congress chief Sitaram Kesris letter to the President said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolved to extend support to the formation of government at the Centre by a new leader of the United Front, other than H D Deve Gowda. Otherwise, my earlier letter dated March 31, 1997, stands.
Yechury said the process of chosing a new leader was already on and it would be completed latest by today morning.
On the BJPs stand on formation of a National Democratic Front with the help of some regional parties, the CPM leader said the BJP was trying to woo regional parties eventhough it continued to ideologically adhere to its basic project of Hindu Rashtra. But all its efforts are bound to come to nought.
This is precisely because the regional parties that are constituents of UF, uphold the very basis of federalism and federal politics in our country, which the BJP opposes. It is for this reason that none of them sided with the BJP even when it was in power during its infamous 13-day rule, Yechury said.