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The Election Day Results Chat

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:3)

I'm here everyone, back from my election campaign. I'll be happy to entertain your questions.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:5)

Cong: Since we have the time, your personal assessment of being an eyewitness to History.

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:5)

Anjali: In the next two days, I think it is an even battle between two views. First being pull out all stops to form the government, the second being let's sit in the Opposition. The party is still a little shell shocked to be very vocal at the level of ordinary workers. The UP Congress will do some quick and serious thinking about its future.

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:6)

The election results have thrown up the desire of the people of India that the BJP and its allies should provide a stable government in New Delhi. Those who were opposed to the BJP during the elections and were bitterly opposing each other are now trying to subvert the mandate of the people by joining hands merely for the sake of keeping the BJP and its allies out of power. It is the most unprincipled behaviour that one has seen in recent times in India. These very people who are opposing the BJP were fighting each other until December 1997 and so much so that the UF government was brought down on spurious grounds.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:6)

Mr Khurshid: How come you lost in Farrukhabad? You were leading at one time. What happened? How come you finished third?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:7)

Mr Khurshid: Is the Congress finished in UP? Just two seats! Even losing Rampur to the BJP. Can the party ever be revived in UP? An honest response please.

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:7)

Nikhil: Not just an eyewitness, I received a knock or two myself. The Congress has survived a major stroke, the question now is how to initiate rehabilitation therapy. I do think that the BJP has a big problem on its hands, its own workers.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:8)

Mr Khurshid: Are you for or against forming a government?

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:9)

Nikhil: Not two seats. We lost them all. I believe we can revive and we must revive, but we need to come clean on Ayodhya, our relationship with the minorities and either identification with backward communities, or call their bluff. We've failed to take sides for too long and therefore sides don't take us.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:9)

Mr Brajesh Mishra, what will be the BJP's policy towards the OIC and other Muslim countries?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:11)

Mr Mishra: Is it true that your party wants Dr Rangarajan as finance minister?

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:11)

This happened despite the fact that a solemn commitment was given by the Congress party to the President of India before the swearing in of the second UF government headed by I K Gujral. This was a fraud committed on the people of India. This was the height of political chicanery. In these circumstances how can the people of India trust the so-called UF which is more or less fractured to continue to ally itself with the Congress party for the next five years for which the new Lok Sabha has been elected. The People of India must be on their guard.

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:12)

I don't care. What is important is a Congress rethink on what it believes in and the price it is prepared to pay for it. We speak only to ourselves, we have stopped speaking to the voter. I do honestly believe that Mrs Sonia Gandhi has touched two or three major issues which other Congress leaders were afraid to speak of. We now need specific positions on those. Her active support for those issues is absolutely essential.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:13)

Mr Khurshid: How do you establish a rapport in caste polarised UP? The BSP has the dalits, the SP the OBCs and the Muslims. Would the Congress have to play a minor partner role like it does in Tamil Nadu, to survive in UP?

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:14)

krao: I do not accept that this a mandate for the BJP. They have stolen the march on us by riding piggyback on strange bedfellows (mixed metaphor is important.) The BJP without the Sangh wisdom is like a wit without witticism. I do honestly believe they will be disastrous for the country.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:14)

Mr Khurshid: Do you think the involvement of the Gandhi-Nehru family in party affairs will revive the Congress in UP? What are the issues Mrs Gandhi has spoken about that are so relevant?

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:15)

Sai: We have had problems with the Organisation of Islamic Conference in terms of their interference, in India' sinternal affairs, particularly the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. As a government we will certainly pursue the matter with the OIC.

However it should be understood that many members of OIC have friendly relations with India and would like nothing better than a peaceful resolution of the question of Jammu & Kashmir with Pakistan. And they have told Pakistan so .

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:15)

From Anjali (Wed Mar 4 1998 5:52 PDT): Mr Khurshid, what do you think will the developments of the next two days in the Congress camp be like?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:16)

From bardhan (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:39 PDT): Brajesh Mishra> Has BJP thought of asking for Laloo's support

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:16)

From krao (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:46 PDT) Salman: what HAPPENS TO THIS COUNTRY, if the BJP FORMS THE GOVERMENT ?

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:16)

Nikhil: Quite easy. We first get a leader who can stand and run, it'll help if he can think. The present polarisation begins with Muslims and SP, once we break that, everything else will begin to tumble. I think you will agree that Ms Mayawati is on a downward curve and I don't mean her weight!

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:16)

Nikhil: this is sheer speculation.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:17)

From pc (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:36 PDT) WELL MR. KHURSHID MOST OF THE POLITICOS TILL NOE HAVE ENTERTAINED US RATHER THAN OUR QUESTIONS SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU. TELL US : IN YOUR MIND WHAT IS THE TENURE OF THE GOVT THAT FORMS, WHATEVER IT BE?

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:18)

pc: I believe it'll last about as long as it takes to read the whole list of MPs twice over, provided you are not used to speed reading. On a serious note, I think not more than a year.

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:18)

ABC: We are very glad that the efforts of the UN secretary general have succeeded in defusing the recent crisis in Iraq. We are opposed to the resolution of such problems by use of force.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:18)

From chandra (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:48 PDT) Mr. Brajesh, I suppose, you should answer this question sincerely... Not a democratic answer pls......what is BJP's stand on Iraq crisis ???

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:19)

From pc (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:46 PDT) MR. MISHRA> PLEASE COMMENT ON THE RUMORED CHOICE OF DR RANGARAJAN FOR FM. AND IS THIS A BRIDGE TOWARDS THE TDP, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE GOOD DR. AND THE BABU ARE KNOWN TO BE CLOSE?

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:20)

From nirmaln (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:50 PDT) MR BRAJESH IF U ARE THERE PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION I REPEAT WHAT DOES THE BJP HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE DEBACLE IN MAHARASHTRA AND RAJASTHAN?

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:20)

PC: I repeat it is sheer speculation.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:20)

Mr Khursheed, When do you see the next elections happening? And what will happen to the Cong then?

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:20)

bardhan: So be it. 45 years of existence has given me my present age. Just think what would happen if there was 45 years of Advani or 45 years of Mulayam.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:20)

From krao (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:52 PDT) disastrous for the country? SALMAN: Can you elaborate ? During several years of CONGRESS RULES, we have seen everything, from EMERGENCY to RAMPANT CORRUPTION. Do you think BJP will do worse than this? Thanks to PV/Manmohan combination, the Economy / Industrialisation has taken a certain shape (any Govt has to continue them). What is that you guys aftraid of from BJP ? I do not see anything except BOFORS ?? Please COmment!

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:20)

Nirmal: there is no question of taking Laloo's support.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:21)

Mr Mishra and Mr Khursheed: Is it necessary for India to have nuclear weapons today, when relations all around are peaceful?

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:22)

Amberish: I've already said a year from now, it will depend on who leads us and in what manner. Wait for more after the working committee meeting.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:22)

From nirmaln (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:53 PDT) mr kurshid what are your views as i think if the cong and uf join together it will defeat the very purpose of this election?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:22)

Mr Khurshid: With all due respect, I think it would be folly to write off the BSP on the basis of their showing this election. Ms Mayawati and Manyavar Kanshi Ram have earned the electorate's opprobrium by their tenure last year, but I think they will be players for some time to come.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:23)

Mr Mishra, Mr Khursheed: The US has made it clear that if India goes nuclear, it will cut investments into the country. Can India today adopt to alienate foreign investment at a time when the world is globalising?

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:23)

From sandesa (Wed Mar 4 1998 4:53 PDT) Salman : Sir, Do u believe that BJP is a communal party ?

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:24)

sandesa: YES, I DO BELIEVE IT IS A COMMUNAL PARTY BECAUSE IT SPEAKS OF CHANGING HOW OTHERS LIVE NOT OF REINFORCING HOW THEY WISH TO LIVE THEMSELVES. FOR ME COMMUNAL PARTY IS AN ILLIBEARAL PARTY. WHEN AN ILLIBERAL PARTY SUSCRIBES TO ASPIRATIONS OF ONE COMMUNITY IT BECOMES A COMMUNAL PARTY. YOU CAN USE THIS DEFINITION ANYWHERE YOU LIKE.

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:24)

Nirmal: There are two points. 1. the alliance of the Congress party with the RPI and the Samajwadi Party. This alliance was targeted at two sections of the populoation of Maharashtra. these two sections were used as vote-banks and the Congress wsas successful in its strategy. 2. Our government in Maharashtra was not sufficiently able to make the people aware of the good work it has done in the state in the last three years. Obviously we will have to take care of this aspect of the problem.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:25)

It is nice to have two members associated with the external affairs division of their respective parties. To both of you, HOW RELEVANT IS THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT TODAY?

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:26)

Amberish: We talk of making India a nuclear weapon state solely on the ground of the dangerous security environment which surrounds us. We are facing threats from nuclear weapons in our neighbourhood both in the north and the west...

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:27)

nirmaln: I believe the electorate has already defeated the purpose of the election. We should now join hands to defeat the purpose of the BJP. But to be really effective, we should seriuosly look at important national issues and join hands to fight the next election on those issues. Eg: let UF and Cong publish a joint position paper on Ayodhya, take a common position and public vow not to attack each other on that position but to reserve their ammunition for the BJP.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:27)

Is it necessary to recognise the Line of Actual Control to resolve the border issue with China? Should we give up Aksai Chin and keep Arunachal Pradesh as a barter deal for peace?

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:30)

Our territory has been occupied by China and Pakistan for several decades. Pakistan is sponsoring terrorist activities all over India. The recent example being Coimbatore. It is to protect our territorial, integrity and unity that we require a nuclear deterrent. In such a situation if we are threatened with sanctions by those powers who woulod like to keep intact their own nuclear weapons but prevent others from acquiring them we should be prepared to faced the threats..

Salman Khurshid, former Union Minister (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:30)

Thank you Rediff. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope to chat with you again and again. See You.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:30)

Mr Mishra, thanks for the brief reply. Can you specify what exactly is the dangerous security environment that makes it necessary for nuclear weapons? India's gravest threat is internal discord (which Pakistan exploits), Pak has not dared attack India; and China is too bothered by East Asia right now. So why spoil it all by going in for nuclear arms?

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:34)

Mr Brajesh, pls reply? What happens to SAARC under the BJP?

Rediff Team, Congress HQ: (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:34)

That was Mr Salman Khurshid from the Rediff station at the AICC.

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:35)

Nirmal: it is true that cases are pending against Jayalalitha. But she has not been convicted by any court. The case of Laloo Yadav is entirely different. It is not merely that he has been charged in a number of cases. It is the total misrule of Laloo Yadav in Bihar for the last several years. He has converted Bihar into his fiefdom. There has been no developmental activities in Bihar during his rule despite the fact that he enjoyed a huge mandate from the people to begin with and the support of the central government throughout.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:37)

Mr Brajesh -- What is more important: more food and employement for all, or nuclear weapons for a threat that is yet to materialise? Pak and China have stayed peaceful for the past 26 and 35 years respectively, so why stoke the fires by getting weapons? We can always acquire them when the need comes around?

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:38)

aabc: We will withstand the international pressures by all means to safeguard our security, unity and territorial integrity. Our nuclear programme will not fizzle out.

Brajesh Mishra, convenor of the external affairs cell of BJP (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:39)

Thank you for your interest in the BJP and its programme. Good luck.

Rediff@BJP HQ (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:41)

That was Brajesh Mishra talking to us about the proposed foreign policy initiatives of a prospective BJP government.

Rediff@BJP HQ (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:47)

We have here with us now Mr Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former journalist and now a BJP ideologue.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:49)

Hullo, Sudheendra. It is wonderful to have you here with us on the Rediff Chat. Please share your perceptions with us on what is going on in the council of power in the BJP that you alone are privy to.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:52)

Is it true that the BJP has been speaking to people in the DMK and TDP even before the results started coming in on Monday?

Rediff team@Congress HQ (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:52)

At the fag end of the day, it is time for celebration at the AICC. Uniformed bandwallahs are in full swing celebrating the victory of winning candidates, especially Tariq Anwar.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP ideologue (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:53)

Hi Nikhil. I feel very happy to be speaking to you and your readers on the Net. But I must say that I do not claim any proximity to the council of power in the BJP. Anyway, you and your readers are free to shoot questions. I look forward to a good debate.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:53)

Sudheen: You are from Karnataka and have spent most of your career in Bombay. I was curious to understand from you why the BJP did so well in Karnataka and so badly in Maharashtra?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:54)

I cannot believe the anti-incumbency factor did the BJP in Maharashtra. There must be something else. Do you think the 1995 and 1996 results were aberrations and that the electorate gravitated towards the Congress as it did before?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:56)

How will Mr Advani, whom you advise on strategy, and Co cope with the demands from J Jayalalitha, George Fernandes and Dr Swamy? Do you see a further dilution of your ideological position as a result of this, a watering down of what our next guest, Mr V P Singh would call your party's "hate agenda"?

Rediff@Cyber Club (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:58)

Mr V P Singh, the former Prime Minister of India will be here shortly.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP ideologue (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:58)

Nikhil: As for the perceptions within the party HQ, we are absolutely confident of forming the next government as soon as the electoral process is duly completed. The basis for our confidence is simple and obvious. If the election to the 12th Lok Sabha has given a mandate to any party or any pre-poll combination of parties, it is to us.

True, we have a near mandate, and not a clear mandate. But then, neither the Congress and its allies nor the badly mauled United Front is anywhere close to the majority mark. And if the Congress and the United Front try to cobble together yet another arrangement just to keep the BJP out of power, it will be a far bigger fraud than what was perpetrated on the people of India in 1996. Needless to add, a repetition of May 1996 will simply not be tolerated by the people this time.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:58)

Rediff BJP/Congress/CyberClub: Please direct our Guests's attention to the questions on the right too!

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:2)

Hello everyone: I am ready for your questions.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP ideologue (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:2)

Every election has to yield a government. In a democracy, that government is most legitimate which comes closest to being the product of a democratic mandate. On this criterion, there can be no doubt whatsoever that a BJP-led government comes closest to having the people's mandate.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:3)

I think the mandate is not clear. And that is why it has not given a majority to any party. But it gives a message that the days of coalitions have arrived.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:4)

Mr Singh: Thank you for appearing on the Rediff Chat again.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:5)

Welcome Nikhil.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP ideologue (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:6)

Nikhil: No, it is not true that the BJP started talking to the TDP and DMK even before the results started coming in. In fact, the results are a bit of a disappointment to us because we do not have a clear majority -- which is what we expected until the day of counting -- although we have come very close to the halfway mark. Since we need additional support of about 20 MPs, it is true that talks are on between our leaders and the TDP.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:6)

Mr Singh: Why do you believe that this election is just the semifinal?

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:7)

Srinavas: Whoever gets the majority should form the government. As of today no party has got a majority. And whoever gets a majortiy they can form the government. If the BJP gets a majority they can form the government. If the Congress/UF can come together, they can form the government. This is my standpoint.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP ideologue (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:8)

Archana: You have put it right. It is merely speculation. Indeed, it is more than speculation in the Congress camp: it is wishful thinking. The BJP has promised to provide a stable government lasting full five years and the promise will be fulfilled.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:8)

Mr Kulkarni: Hello, how are you? Tell me, Sudheen, I have always wondered at your political affiliations. You have traversed the entire spectrum, what were the factors that prompted to sink your leftist sympathies and align with the right? Was it being politically correct, or something more weighty?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:9)

Sudheen: You have on the Chat Mr V P Singh who has condemned your hate agenda. Would you like to ask him something?

Suparn (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:9)

From Srinivas Here: V.P Singh, you seem to be interested in bringing the Congress and UF again. then please explain why we had to go with the elections, wasting crores of taxpayer rupees, wasting millions of man hours, forcing busy people to attend the natak of annual elections

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:9)

Mr Singh: You don't see anything wrong with the UF and Congress coming together, after an acrimonious divorce and an even more acrimonious legal proceeding in the court of the people? I mean, if this was not opportunism, what is?

Suparn (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:10)

From Nachiketa (Wed Mar 4 1998 5:37 PDT) Singhji: What is the reason that you deem BJP as communal? I remember reading an article in Indian Express [when you were PM] that you said to BJP folks: Masjid to wahaan hai hee nahin. And when the BJP pulled back its support, you started calling names. Do you have any principles, or is it that you just talk of "value based politics".

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:10)

PC: When there is no majority for any party then governments can be formed on the basis of a minimum programme. For instance, the BJP stands for abolition of Article 370 while its allies like the Akali Dal wants Article 370 for every state. And the BJP stands for a uniform civil code, Article 370. But its allies like the Samata party do not endorse it. But to form the government, they have put these policies on the backburner and will arrive at the CMP.

Rediff @BJP HQ (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:10)

Mr Kulkarni had to leave urgently but will be back in a while. But we will now be joined by Govindacharya...

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:11)

Mr Singh: Do you think it is correct to keep the BJP away from the levers of power, when it could backfire on the centrist parties?

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:12)

Nachiketa: Before having any relation with the BJP, the BJP assured the National Front partners that Ayodhya was not on their agenda and it was a VHP programme. And it is not in their manifesto either. Only in the intrdouction of the manifesto they spoke of moral support. This is the stand they maintained even after forming the government. And forsaking its principles and words it brought the Ayodhya issue on its agenda.

As it did not keep its word and changed its position, we also had to change our attitude towards the BJP.

GOVINDACHARYA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:13)

Mr V P Singh should be reminded of the 1989 election results when the President had invited him as the largest ruling party, not even as leader of the Front and not even acknowledging the outside support of the BJP. Then also the opponents had contested his claim. So now V P should advocate that precedent which was applicable on him.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:15)

Mr Govindacharya: The BJP has always prided itself on its ideological purity. How can you preserve this pristine state when you are at the mercy of your allies?

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:15)

Sai: I am not for blindly for the Congress and the UF coming together. 1) In the process, if there is any danger of the UF splitting then we should allow the BJP to form the government. 2) In many states the Congress and UF are at loggerheads. And before coming together the Congress and UF should try to sort out this contradiction, atleast in principle. Otherwise, the Congress and UF combination will be very fragile, and the government will not last. And this will give an opportunity to the BJP to come back in larger numbers. I do not believe in blind anti-Congressism or blind anti-BJPism. Anti-platforms have lost their meaning.

GOVINDACHARYA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:16)

Shri V P Singhji, this is factually incorrect. We didn't change our stand and we were never inconsistent. As late as June 1989, we had passed a resolution expressing our commitment to facilitate the construction of a temple at Ayodhya. This has been our consistent stand since then. It was Shri V P Singh who for his own partisan interests and a penchant for one-upmanship declared the Mandal Commission recommendation's acceptance.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:16)

The fact that the people can be thrown out of office is a positive proof of a vibrant democracy.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:16)

Mr Govindacharya: Mr Singh has spoken of your party's hate agenda. Do you agree with this description? I know many Muslim friends of mine are disturbed by the prospect of your party in power. Your leaders have done nothing to assuage their sense of insecurity, except the usual no riots stuff.

GOVINDACHARYA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:18)

Archana: The numbers game is progressing satisfactorily. In this complex situation we feel that even if a minority government led by the BJP is sworn in, many constituents of the UF and some other political groups will see to it that it is not toppled by the Congress and the Leftists.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:18)

Mr Singh: Is it not best for the BJP to form a government and fall under the weight of its own contradictions? Why is it so important to keep it away from power?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:19)

From Saisuresh (Wed Mar 4 1998 5:48 PDT) Mr Singh: You talk of the BJP's changing its tack on the masjid after 1989. But tell us, even your own fractured mandate, when you had to hang on to the coattails of the left and the right, was on the Bofors issue, you too conveniently kept Mandal on the backburner at the time of the elections and when Devi Lal started poking you, pulled it out of your hat, thereby leaving the BJP with no other option but to consolidate itself through the hate agenda, wasn't it? In other words, you were the man who gave it the push towards its hate agenda

Shobha Warrier in Madras (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:19)

Hi! Everyone. From Madras, today we have three chats. At 7.30 PM, Mr K V Thangabalu, president,Tamil Nadu Congress Committee will talk to you. He was a candidate from the Salem constituency which was won by Vazhappady Ramamurthi. He came out third polling 48,027 votes, i e 7.07% of the votes. What is worrying the TNCC is the fact that all their 33 candidates, including the president, lost their deposits even though Sonia Gnadhi kicked off her campaign trail from Tamil Nadu in Sriperumbudur. The party's candidate in Sriperumbudur got only 64,944 votes of a total of 6,96,327. So, what is going to be the future of the Congress in Tamil Nadu. MrThangabalu will answer your questions.

At 8 o'clock IST, Vazhappady Ramamurthy is going to be here. He broke away from the Congress after the state unit elections and formed his own party, Thamizhaga Rajiv Congress. He is also an alliance partner of the AIADMK-BJP front. It was a matter of prestige for him to win the Salem constituency where he was pitched against both the Congress and the TMC (Tamil Maanila Congress) He won the seat polling 3,65,557 votes (53.80%), second largest margin in the state. After winning the seat, he said his first action would be to demand the dismissal of the DMK government.

At 8.30 PM IST, Babu Bhaskar, political analyst, former associate editor, Deccan Herald, and the present editorial advisor to the satellite channel, Asianet will be here. He is just back from Delhi after conducting the live election coverage for Asianet. He believes in the Left ideology.

GOVINDACHARYA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:20)

Nikhil: He is knowingly incorrect. There is no hate agenda as it is and the perception of the minorities towards the BJP has undergone a sea change despite the intentionally malicious propaganda against the BJP by pseudo-secular politicians and parties.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:21)

MR GOVINDACHARYAJI: In 1989, you know it well that we were working together when the Congress refused to form the government. The JD being the next largest party was invited to form the government. Even recently the President invited Atalji in 1996 to form the government. So while these examples are there, the experience of 1996 was that even the government of the largest party which did not have a majority lasted only for 13 days.

And so this time I think it is almost a photofinish between the BJP and the probable axis between the Congress and the UF. The President should give some time for either of them to come with a majority. If minority governments cannot give stability, the onus of a BJP government can be cast on the UF or Congress. Anyway, let us hope the country gets a stable government whoever it may be. AS we are going through a deep economic, social and political transition.

Rediff@BJP HQ (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:21)

Mr Govindarcharya, who kindly spared us a few moments, has now been hijacked by CNN. But he has said that, if possible, he will be back...

Suparn (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:22)

From Chana (Wed Mar 4 1998 5:48 PDT) Mr. Govindacharya >> Will the party NOT be better served to sit in the opposition yet again instead of compromising on principles and trying to get support from parties they don't agree with. Even the Congress/UF gov't can't last long and besides you will have the opportunity to cry BLOODY MURDER since it was the UF/Congress gov't that collapsed and the counry had to spend so much money for this election. Comments please?

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:24)

Mr Singh: But tell us, does it fill you with a sense of pride when you see how you have made Indians hate Indians through your politics, that you have made India even more ungovernable, that while you fulminate against religious fundamentalism you are a champion of casteist fundamentalism. Surely, if the BJP is communal, then your proteges are casteist. How is the former right, and the latter wrong?

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:26)

Govindacharyaji: I had a personal assurances of the top most leaders that the Ayodhya issue is not the part of the BJP manifesto. It is only in the introductory programme for moral support. Same way you are saying today that Mathura and Kashi is not on your agenda. and you are giving the same kind of assurance. As for Mandal, if I had done it for my own purposes and if it was harmful to the country why have you endorsed it? Are you not letting down the country's interest to protect your gaddi. And how is it that the Supreme Court, which has no political axe to grind and has upper caste judges, decided that MANDAL is the right thing for the country?

V P Singh has been out of power since 1990. If it was his pure whim why was it not reversed by subsequent governments? And you could have issued an ordinance in your 13 days government instead of clearing only the ENRON project. Which was your greater national priority -- doing away with Mandal or clearing ENRON?

Thangabalu (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:27)

TNCC(I) President Sri K V Thangkabalu is here and I welcome all of you.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:27)

SAI: Are all parties casteist because they endorse Mandal? Put the question to them including the BJP.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:29)

Chana: Yes, if they get the majority, they should form the government. A minority government should not be imposed on the country which will be basically unstable and negate the very stability plank on which the BJP has come.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:31)

From Archana (Wed Mar 4 1998 5:57 PDT) Mr V P Singh: You are the hero of social justice in contemporary India, but if you look around -- the leaders who represent the long oppressed classes are so corrupt themselves. Haven't the oppressed become the oppressors now?

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:31)

Mr Singh: In 1984, the BJP had 2 MPs, in 1989 it grew to 86 in 1989 after which there has been no looking back for the party. If you hadn't conferred legitimacy on it merely because you had to settle scores with your ex-friend Rajiv Gandhi, do you think the BJP would have gained so much? You brought the party back from the fringes, and conferred respectability on it. Do you agree?

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:32)

Mr V P Singh: Is the Mandal Commission the reason for dividing India? Or was it the divisions within India, the inequality and inequities that exist in Indian society that forced Mandal upon the people who were simply unwilling to change?

Thangabalu (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:32)

Archana: It is not a question of one individual's defeat. It is the party which was defeated. Our Congress party at the national level could not project a leader for the prime ministership. If we had projected Madam Sonia Gandhi as the candidate for the prime ministership, the Congress party would have won in Tamil Nadu and all over India.

Second reason is that the other combination lead by the BJP projected Mr Vajpayee. That was why Tamil Nadu voters voted for the AIADMK front. Naturally we also lost.

Sudheendra Kulkarni (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:33)

Chana: We are not staking a claim to form the government just for the sake of power. We are doing so because we think we alone have the mandate of the people to do so. To sit out in the Opposition is to disregard that mandate.

Let me emphasise a very important feature of this election -- of all the three contending parties or combinations, the BJP alone seriously campaigned to win and to form the government. Neither the COngress nor the UF campaigned to win and form the government; they campaigned only with the aim of keeping the BJP out. In other words, they campaigned for a hung Parliament. To let the Congress-UF combine grab power this time is to impose yet another mandateless government on the nation.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:34)

Mr Singh: Your famous quote when you were busy plotting the democratic ouster of Rajiv Gandhi, that when you come to power you will have the Bofors names in 30 days. 3,000 days later, can you tell us the names here? Or, like so many of your stunts in those days, was this also a gimmick? And, I remember you even mentioned Shri Rajiv Gandhi's Swiss bank account number. Why didn't your government investigate that? Or, were your agents also compromised?

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:35)

rajg: I am not at all softening my stance on Bofors. I have stated right in the begining of this election that the truth has to be found. And various accounts have to be pursued and the names of the persons against whom the evidence is on record meaning WIN CHAADHA, QUATTROCCHI, action must be taken and their accounts in the Isle of Man and other tax havens must be probed. As for the results nothing has been achieved is wrong. We have stated that bribes have been taken in the Bofors deal. It has now been endorsed by the Swiss courts. The accounts numbers are known in which the bribes have gone. And they happened to be the same account numbers which I alleged earlier. The specific names are now known. Quattrochi and Win Chhadha. And the third account regarding which the papers have yet to come.

Thangabalu (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:35)

Jagdish: Sonia Gandhi is the natural leader of the Congress party in the country. Nobody can match her. The party's elected MPs have to elect the new leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party which is going to be held in a day or two. It is better to wait till that comes.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:36)

Mr V P Singh: One major shortcoming of Mandal is that it has created elites within the backward classes and also divided the backward classes from the dalits and tribals? Is it not time to have a common agenda for it? How can that be achieved?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:36)

From Psmith_ (Wed Mar 4 1998 6:5 PDT): Thangabalu: Is your party so ideologically bankrupt that you have to depend on a slain leader's WIDOW>. with ZERO political experience to "save" you? I pity you chaps then,..

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:37)

Continuing the answer of rajg: These are names of specific persons and not of any institutions. Either they have taken the bribes themselves or they have handled the bribes and passed it on to someone else. And only when the other accounts come where the monies have gone only then the whole picture can emerge.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:37)

Mr Thangabalu, don't you think it is time the Congress closed shop in Tamil Nadu? In the last two elections, you have not won a single seat!

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:38)

Mr Singh: In 1984, the BJP had 2 MPs, in 1989 it grew to 1989 after which there has been no looking back for the party. If you hadn't conferred legitimacy on it merely because you had to settle scores with your ex-friend Rajiv Gandhi, do you think the BJP would have gained so much? You brought the party back from the fringes, and conferred respectability on it. Do you agree?

Thangabalu (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:38)

Archana: The contribution of Madam Sonia Gnadhi's family cannot be undermined. The Nehrus, Indira Gnadhi and Rajiv Gandhi have done supreme sacrifice for the country's integrity and overall developement. Her becoming PM will boost the morale of the countrymen and the common people of the country will accept her as the natural PM of this land. She has inbuilt character of goodwill and experience in the political family of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, so she has lots of experience in politics to lead the nation.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:39)

Amberish: Social Justice is not caste politics. If it generates into power of some caste divisions will take place between the poorer sections. It has to encompass all the deprived section as well as the poorer of the upper castes. However, now the social justice agenda has to move to education, health, women's issues, employment, environment and population.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:39)

Mr Singh, do you believe the forces of social re-engineering, as represented by the BSP and the SP, have been arrested by the forces of Hindutva? Where do these parties go from here? And do you think the Janata Dal should just disband itself?

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:42)

Sai: Now with experience, neither blind anti-Congressism nor anti-BJPism are valid propositions. It was twice in the history of our country -- once in 1977 even Jayprakashji fell for anti-Congressism. And in 1989, the National Front fell for anti-Congressism which led to the growth of the BJP. And similarly, blind anti-BJPism will lead to condoning many of the wrongs of the Congress. In fact, instead of anti-platform one should be on one's own platform and agenda.

Thangabalu (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:43)

Amberish: There is no need to close shop in TN or elsewhere. Political parties can do better, whether we are in power or not. The Congress will remain united and serve the people of TN. Our main motto is serve the people through political wisdom and commitment. I represent the Congress which is a national party. We have been doing before Independence, after Independence and we will continue to serve the people in a better manner.

Losing one or two elections are a temporary phenomenon. Last time in 1996, along with AIADMK led by Jayalalitha, we lost all the seats in Parliament and the assembly but this time we contested all the seats alone and we lost of course. But our alliance with the AIADMK and DMK in the last thirty years made our roots empty. But today through this election, the Congress was able to reach to the people of TN in each and every village and every booth and we were able to inform them about the Congress rule in fifty years. There has been a lot of enthusiasm and support from the people.

Amberish K Diwanji (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:44)

Mr Singh, thanks for the reply. To take your point further, today 50% of India is illiterate, and backwards, dalits and tribals make up most of this 50%. They remain the most deprived, denied minimum wages, no jobs, etc. Yet, few of the parties that claim to represent them have made a difference. Sadly they are busy playing politics -- just see what all the BSP, SP, RJD, et al are doing? What is the way out?

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:45)

Nikhil: The fortunes of individual parties are not indicators of the total historical process. Today, every party is accommodating the deprived sections. Even the BJP has to rely on Nitish Kumar in Bihar, on Kalyan Singh in UP. And on Munde in Maharashtra. And tribal leaders in MP. And backward classes in Karnataka. So now this process of sharing of power by the deprived sections is cutting across party lines. And the individual fortunes of the JD, BSP does not stop the process.

Thangabalu (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:47)

Sheesh: Every person has got their own agenda and perception. I am not forcing anybody to accept my views. At the same time I cannot accept your views also. Lakhs and lakhs of people of this great land accepted her as the leader. This truth also has to go to the mind of the people. Sonia Gandhi continues to be the leader of the Congress party and her leadership will have a bearing on the people of India. Her commitment and her esteemed presence in the political arena will have its own effect.

V P SINGH, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:48)

Amberish: I very much share your concern. In the recent election, people's issues, like inflation, employment, health, transport, population and environment were hardly focussed. I hope after these elections all the parties come together to come to common agreements of specific concrete steps on the above issues which I can call "THE PEOPLES AGENDA'.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:48)

Mr Singh: What, in your opinion, are the bipartisan priorities of the next government, BJP or otherwise?

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:48)

Mr Singh: Yes, we are all agreed that majority communalism is bad. Surely and similarly, minority communalism is worse, and often sets off majority communalism doesn't it? Do you think if Rajiv Gandhi had not annulled the Shah Bano verdict to appease Muslims, the pro-Hindu forces would have progressed? And, when the Supreme Court's decision had been overtaken once, if the same apex court rules against Hindus in the Ayodhya case, why should they respect such a verdict?

Sudheendra Kulkarni (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:50)

Dear Rediff readers: Many of you must be wanting to know how the setbacks the BJP has suffered in Maharashtra and Rajasthan are being viewed inside the party circles. I would like to express my personal views. The biggest and the most sobering lesson of election 98 is the anti-incumbency vote. The people of India have delivered a very powerful message to all political parties that, "Well, if you want us to vote you to power, you better deliver." This anti-incumbency factor has also hit us in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Of course, as far as Maharashtra is concerned an equally important contributory factor for our dismal showing is the consolidation of anti-BJP and anti-Shiv Sena votes in the state in the form of the alliance between the Congress, the Republican Party of India and the Samajwadi Party. In 1996, the division of these votes had given the BJP-SS alliance the benefit of 3 % of additional votes over the Congress, thus yielding as many as 18 parliamentary seats more than the Congress tally of 15. This time, the consolidation of votes of the Congress, RPI and SP has resulted in a role reversal. The Congress has won 33 seats in Maharashtra on its own, whereas the BJP-SS combine has fallen below the Congress tally of 15 in 1996. Anyway, these reversals are matter of deep introspection and soul-searching for the BJP.

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:50)

Mr Singh: As someone who is spoken of in the same breath as the BJP of having divided India, how do we end these divisions in Indian society? How do we move ahead? How do we ensure opportunities for all Indians, regardless of caste or religion?

Saisuresh Sivaswamy (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:50)

Mr Singh: In 1989 you ran a nudge-nudge wink-wink campaign against Shri Rajiv Gandhi on Bofors, always hinting that he took the money but never stating it plainly. Why don't you be categorical today? Did he or any of his family members take money? Was the money taken for the Congress party's coffers?

Thangabalu (Wed Mar 4 1998 7:52)

Jagdish: This is the view of Congressmen that Sonia is the undisputed leader of the party. On the other side, nobody can be equated with her in stature not only in the Congress but also in other political parties. Certain hard realities and facts, we have to accept and digest.