Senior leaders of the Congress and the United Front continued to adopt tough bargaining postures during informal consultations yesterday even as they groped to find a way to end the political turmoil arising from the withdrawal of Congress support to the 15-party rainbow coalition led by H D Deve Gowda.
The most significant statement came from former Prime Minister VP Singh who said from his hospital bed that he stood by the United Fronts steering committee decision that there would be no support to Congress and no change in UF leadership.
Singh clarified that he had never suggested an alternative to Gowda as a way to clinch a compromise deal with the Congress. This set at rest all the talk of a compromise candidate, especially TMC leader GK Moopanar, replacing Gowda to placate the Congress.
On the other hand, Congress chief Sitaram Kesari visited Banga Bhawan to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu even though his party has rallied behind him to stake its claim to form a government.
Kesaris visit to Basu came on a day when the Delhi Police claimed they had interrogated the Congress president on March 1 this year in connection with the murder of a Central Government Health Services doctor.
Kesari and Sharad Pawar, his main opponent within the Congress, appeared to switch their public posturings.
While Pawar took the intransigent stand (adopted earlier by Kesari) by declaring that Prime Minister Deve Gowda should resign and the Front should accept a congress-led coalition, Kesari not only maintained a studied silence, but also came down to Banga Bhawan to meet Basu.
Earlier, Pawar had dubbed Kesaris move to withdraw support a hasty decision.
Behind these parleys, there was talk of a formula to end the crisis under which the Congress would take back its letter to President Shanker Dayal Sharma withdrawing support to the United Front government and the UF would respond by agreeing to accommodate the views of the Congress.
A senior United Front leader said it was only the ground work that was going on today. The hard bargaining would come only after Monday when the United Front partners meet.
The day began with Gowda calling on VP Singh at 7 am. I had not even brushed my teeth, Singh is reported to have told a colleague who later talked to him. Gowda was with him for over an hour.
The Prime Minister then drove straight to Banga Bhawan to meet Basu where he spent an hour. Soon after this there were talks of Kesaris plans to meet Basu the first-ever high level meeting between the Front and the Congress since the crisis erupted.
CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who was also present at the Kesari-Basu meeting, told reporters in reply to a question that the meeting was satisfactory.
When they (Congress) come for talks it means a positive sign, Surjeet said adding that though no proposal had come from either side we are very hopeful.
Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao called on the ailing VP Singh in the evening. He was with Singh for about 20 minutes.
Singh is said to have talked about how Rao should contribute his bit in resolving the crisis between the two parties.
Kesari, who had taken no time to oust P V Narasimha Rao when he was made the Congress president, had sent his close aide Ghulam Nabi Azad to meet the former Prime Minister on Thursday evening.
Congress Working Committee member K Karunakaran held a separate meeting with Surjeet where he is understood to have raised the issue of the Marxist government holding a sword over his head in the palmoleim oil import case.
