NEW DELHI, 19 January 2004 — As the countdown for early parliamentary elections begins, the Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday rejected any possibility of electoral alliances with either Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party or Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party.
“There is no possibility of an electoral alliance either with Mulayam Singh or Mayawati,” said Pramod Mahajan, BJP general secretary. Speaking on a possible alliance with Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal, Mahajan said: “Even if he does not align with us, he is not going to have an alliance with Congress in Haryana.”
On the tie-up between Congress and the National Congress Party, Mahajan said it would work to his party’s advantage as anti-Sonia votes would go to the BJP. “We did not go to the NCP. It was NCP which approached the BJP. The proposed Cong-NCP tie-up will have no adverse affect on our poll prospects in Maharashtra,” he said.
Mahajan said that in the past Congress never allowed any alliance which it supported to complete its term. Charan Singh, Deve Gowda, Chandrashekhar and Gujral governments all collapsed when Congress pulled out, he pointed out.
Mahajan dismissed speculation about Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s age factor coming in the way of the party’s poll campaign. “The prime minister is going strong,” he said.
Vajpayee’s campaign schedules are planned in a manner so as not to cause him exertion. He is the only Indian leader who knows the canvas of the country very well, right from spiritual leaders to historical figures, Mahajan added.
Despite Mahajan’s categorical statement on the BJP’s alliance plans, Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi hinted that the party may think of allying with the BSP or the SP after the elections.
“No one is untouchable in an era of coalition. The days of practicing political untouchability are over. In politics there are no permanent enemies and permanent friends,” remarked Joshi.
Joshi also maintained that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance would get “sufficient majority” to form the next government. But in the same breath, he said his party would do everything possible to form a stable and credible government in the event of a hung verdict.
“In India, we must learn to work together even with those who have diverse views. The country must learn to live with the situation of a coalition era”, said Joshi.
