New Delhi Mar 3: Evolving a common-minimum programme (CMP) may prove to be be a ticklish issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), now that it has decided to go ahead and stake a claim to form the government.It is clear from the manner in which some of the allies, including the Samata Party led by George Fernandes, Jayalalitha's AIADMK and to some extent Ramakrishna Hedge's Lok Shakti, have reacted to various contentious issues dear to the BJP.
One of the major issue is the role of multinationals vis a vis the indigenous industry. The question of evolving a CMP, it may be recalled, was raised by Fernandes on the eve of the elections. On the role of the multinationals, Fernandes had been taking a rather strong line. He has, however, been circumspect in making them public.
The BJP may also not find it easy to come to terms with the allies on 'swadeshi', a pet theme within a section of the party. Fernandes, it may be recalled, had waged an all out war against the coming in of American multi-nationalCoca-Cola in the past.
The defeat of Jaswant Singh, however, is likely to be welcomed by the BJP's swadeshi brigade led by Murli Manohar Joshi. Singh was known to be a liberal as far as economic issues were concerned, while Joshi has been taking a hardline stance.
On the political plane, the contentious issues are: Article 370--conferring special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, common civil code and construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. Fernandes had made it clear that Ayodhya and common civil code could not form part of the CMP as his party saw them differently.
What made the Samata leader sit up on the eve of the elections was the BJP manifesto which made a mention of Ayodhya in no uncertain terms. It was only subsequently that Fernandes spoke about the CMP, making clear that Ayodhya or Article 370 had nothing to do with his party.
AIADMK's Jayalalitha, in fact, went a step forward advising that there should be a 20-years moratorium on Ayodhya. What she meant was that there should beno talk of constructing a Ram Temple in Ayodhya for this period.
Considering the BJP's hardline stance on these issues, it could only be guessed as to what extent the party would be willing to accommodate. There is little doubt that the three sensitive issues constituted the core of the BJP's political agenda.
Similarly, Hegde would also find it difficult to completely agree with the BJP on these issues, given his views in the past.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
