Friends
in Need
Delhi: Whatever
people may say about him, Laloo Prasad Yadav still enjoys the goodwill of
some of his peers. It came as a boon for the RJD president when the
Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP) and CPI(m) agreed last week to forge an
alliance with his party for the Bihar assembly polls. It was also a
revival of sorts for Chandra Shekhar. At a meeting, the SJP chief lashed
out at the BJP and Congress and called George Fernandes
"irresponsible". When journalists asked him why the CPI was not
in the alliance, he said it was because of "Laloo's whims".
Patting Laloo on the back, he admonished him gently, "Don't be too
rigid with your choices." For once at a loss for words, Laloo could
only nod obediently.
Hard Diskmaster
Hyderabad:
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu loves speaking, even if it means
breaking his resolve to be punctual. He was supposed to meet a BJP team
last week to iron out the alliance for municipal polls. He not only met
them an hour late but got down to business only after parroting a lecture
he had heard earlier by C.K. Prahalad on management systems in government
borrowing. Needless to say the details of the alliance had to wait for
another day.
Cutting
Both Ways
Bhopal: Union Rural Development Minister Sunderlal Patwa was
very keen that Uma Bharati call off her protest march to the chief
minister's residence on January 21. There was more to it than the fact
that Digvijay Singh had promised a judicial inquiry into the beating up of
BJP corporators. With Bharati's supporters converging on Bhopal, Patwa
probably feared trouble. Clearly, Bharati has not just Digvijay worried,
but also her own party leaders.
Wishful
Thinking
Bhubaneswar: J.B. Patnaik never gives up daydreaming. Only last
week, he unabashedly projected himself as a CM candidate in the assembly
polls, even getting an announcement made to this effect. The next day a
denial was issued at the bidding of the high command, which is proving to
be a stumbling block for Patnaik. But a greater obstacle could be the
voters who are in no mood to oblige his party.
CONFESSIONAL
JAYA JAITLEY
replaced George Fernandes as Samata Party president after the EC
restrained MPs elected on the JD(U) symbol from continuing as sp members.
What do you think will be the impact
of your decision on the unity of the JD(U)?
Practically we have been maintaining our own identity. We firmly believe
that winning elections on a particular symbol and retaining membership of
the SP are two different things.
Why didn't the Samata-JD(U) merger
materialise?
JD(U) leaders were not ready to accept anything. They were not
listening to any formula, any logic.
How do you view the developments that
led to Samata's revival?
What our JD(U) friends were trying to do amounted to betrayal. It's a
pity some people forgot the Bihar objective. But those who try to harm it
will end up harming themselves.
Will Samata's revival affect the NDA?
We are an integral part of the NDA and the Government. We are not
against it.
Don't you think Laloo will take
advantage of the situation?
He can't because the popular mood is anti-Laloo. Bihar will be freed
from jungle raj.
-Farzand
Ahmed
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