Hegdes Lok Shakti, Bjd Alliance Likely

Lok Shakti leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Ramkrishna Hegde is likely to join hands with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Orissa for the Lok Sabha polls.

Hegde, who arrived here on Monday, had two rounds of discussion with BJD chief Nabin Patnaik and political affairs committee chairman Bijoy Mohapatra.

BJD sources claimed talks with the Karnataka leader had been fruitful and that he blessed the new party.

The Lok Shakti leader would cooperate with the BJD and had agreed to become a part of a common front, proposed to be formed by the new party, they said.

The BJD, which broke away from the Janata Dal ten days ago in a bid to engage the Congress in a one-to-one contests in the parliamentary elections, would soon form a save Orissa front with like minded parties, the sources said.

 

Hegde was scheduled to address a public meeting at Dhenkanal yesterday, where his partys state unit would be formally launched. Another political outfit, the Socialist Party, headed by trade union leader Biswanath Pandit, was likely to merge with the Lok Shakti yesterday.

Although Hegde is yet to decide about tying up with either BJP or Congress at the national level, in separate interviews to two local dailies, he had said no party, including the BJP, was untouchable. His observation that BJP would have an advantage over other parties in coming elections for having projected A B Vajpayee as its prime ministerial candidate, had encouraged state BJD leaders, who had almost finalised a poll alliance with BJP.

BJP leaders, including party president L K Advani, who were here recently for the partys national executive, had held discussions with BJD leaders in this regard.

Hegde was in favour of like-minded parties joining hands to fight the elections on the basis of a national agenda, policies, programmes and firm commitments. Such a coalition should be led by a major national party for its stability, he has been quoted as saying.