NEW DELHI, Feb 23: Atal Behari Vajpayee broke his two-day fast this evening, saying, ``Our stand has been vindicated'' after the Allahabad High Court reinstated Kalyan Singh as Chief Minister. The BJP has made it clear that it will continue to agitate for the dismissal of UP Governor Romesh Bhandari.The party also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that its views are heard, if UP's one-day Chief Minister Jagdambika Pal challenges the High Court's verdict in the apex court.
But the BJP's victory is not without pitfalls. Amid the euphoria, the BJP is grappling with a bigger problem : How will Kalyan Singh now prove his majority? Without the support of the Loktantrik Congress Party (LCP), whose MLAs had quit the coalition and caused the crisis, Kalyan Singh cannot get the numbers needed for a majority.
If they are taken back -- as sources indicated -- the BJP would lose its moral high ground; and would they once again be made ministers? In retrospect, the BJP might find that martyrdom wouldhave been politically more advantageous than once again cobbling together a questionable ragtag coalition for the sake of survival. Further, the fate of the 12 BSP MLAs in the coalition who have attracted the Anti-Defection Law, is uncertain.
The UP Speaker (who belongs to the BJP) has not taken a decision on the matter for nearly five months and might not be able to delay it indefinitely. Taking all this into account, observers do not rule out the possibility of Kalyan Singh recommending the dissolution of the State Assembly after the parliamentary elections and going in for a fresh mandate.
Addressing the press after he broke his fast, Vajpayee said that the BJP's state unit will decide whether to take the LCP back. Asked if the Kalyan Singh government could be a stable one after this crisis, he replied, ``If he has a majority, the Government will continue. Otherwise, Kalyan Singh will resign.''
Lambasting Bhandari for his total disregard of constitutional propriety, he said that saving democraticinstitutions would be a major issue in the elections.
Bhandari had unilaterally dismissed Kalyan Singh ``to favour someone'', Vajpayee said. He had overlooked the fact that the Speaker had convened a session of the Assembly and ignored the President's request that Kalyan Singh be allowed to prove his majority in the Assembly.
Hailing the verdict of the High Court, he said that it was the first time in the country's history that a dismissed Chief Minister was being reinstated. ``The people's faith in the judiciary and in democracy will be strengthened.''
Vajpayee also had harsh words for Prime Minister I.K.Gujral, accusing him of trying to postpone a discussion on the issue. He pointed out that when he had telephoned Gujral yesterday, he had been told that he had gone for walk and would call back -- but he did not.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
