Uf Meet Unlikely To Take Up Laloo Chargesheet Issue

The meeting of the United Front steering committee today is unlikely to discuss whether Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav ought to resign in light of the impending chargesheet against him in the fodder scam. Most Front partners do not want to discuss the issue unless the CBI actually charges him.

The Left parties, which were in the forefront demanding Yadavs resignation, changed their collective stand yesterday and indicated that the matter was an internal affair of the Janata Dal and should not be discussed in the UF meeting. We have made our position public many days back. It is upto the Dal to take a stand on the issue. In any case, Laloo Prasad Yadav is yet to be chargesheeted and unless that is done, nothing much is left for discussion, one senior Left leader said. However, the Left parties are likely to meet today morning to finalise its strategy with regard to the issue.

 

A senior Janata Dal leader said the Laloo Prasad issue was either a case of law taking its own course, or an internal matter of the Janata Dal. Another Dal leader yesterday said that even if the issue was raised in the steering committee, the general view may be that it was an internal matter of the Janata Dal.

This was also the informal view of the Union cabinet when it was briefly raised a day after the CBI decision to charge Yadav appeared in the press.

Given the CBIs delay and the Bihar Governors view that he would thoroughly examine the matter, which might even take a months time, chargesheets are unlikely to be filed soon. UF leaders have adopted a wait-and-watch policy and say that the Janata Dal should decide the matter.

UF leaders say that even if chargesheets are filed, it should be left to the Janata Dal to settle the issue on its own.

According to agency reports, TMC chief GK Moopanar, Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said todays meeting would not discuss the Yadav issue. While Moopanar and Bardhan hoped that the Janata Dal would settle the matter in time, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that nothing could be discussed until chargesheets were filed.

However, DMK chief M Karunandihi said the meeting would discuss the Yadav issue and hoped that the issue would be resolved at the meeting.

Yadav, on his part, has decided not to take part in todays meeting. While he has publicly maintained that this was because of his preoccupation with official work, some UF leaders observe that this shows Yadavs defiance of the central leadership. Yadav has already indicated that he would not step down from his post.

Petroleum price hike, presidential poll to top agenda

The issues which are likely to come up for discussion include the proposed petroleum product price hike and the forthcoming presidential election. Various problems related to Centre-State relations are also likely to be discussed.

There are sharp differences within the Front on raising the prices of petroleum products. While the Left parties insist that all other possibilities should be explored before announcing a hike, both Prime Minister IK Gujral and finance minister P Chidambaram have indicated that a hike is inevitable because of the mounting oil pool deficit.

Even though Left leaders admit that a hike in prices of petrogoods is inevitable, they want to discuss the quantum of hike. They also want the prices of kerosene and diesel retained at the current level.

UF leaders also want to arrive at a consensus on the issue of choosing a new president. Bardhan said the Front should arrive at a consensus before striving for a consensus with the Congress.

He said the Front accounted for 36 to 38 per cent of votes in the electoral college, the BJP and its allies 32 per cent and the Congress 28 per cent. So, there was need for a consensus. The Left is likely to reiterate their opposition to the disinvestment of PSU shares and proposed privatisation of the health insurance sector.