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No question of truck with Congress : Sharad Yadav

BJP sabotages anti-Cong movement by raising communal issues.
Last Updated 27 July 2013, 17:50 IST

In Congress’ scheme of things for expanding United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Janata Dal United (JDU) is considered to be one of the important targets.

The ruling party hardly has any formidable partner in north India. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the battle will be more violent because regional parties have the feeling that they can take on Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party without much difficulty. Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad has consistently been with the Congress in national politics and on the floor of Parliament.

But, his behaviour changes when it comes to fighting elections together. Keeping in view the humiliation at the hands of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) during past electoral adjustments, Sonia Gandhi has been searching for an alternative partner and only JDU is available. Thus, Congress has been cultivating Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar since long.

But, even after breaking away from the NDA, the party has showed no hurry to join hands with Congress. To know more and understand its political strategy and the possibility of joining hands with the Congress, Anil Sinha of Deccan Herald interviewed JDU President Sharad Yadav. He categorically denies any truck with Congress in the coming elections.

On the contrary, he blames BJP for the collapse of non-Congressism and laments  that whenever Congress is cornered in Indian politics, BJP helps it by pushing its communal agenda such as Ram temple in Ayodhya and repeal of Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir. These issues weaken an Opposition alliance against Congress, he avers. Edited excerpts:

People think that JDU’s breaking away from NDA was sudden and abrupt. BJP suddenly decided to anoint Modi and your party was left with no option but to part ways. When did you realise there can’t be any rapprochement? Who were the forces in the BJP that forced it?

No, it was not sudden. Things were going on for some time and we wanted to resolve it. But they did not agree. They projected the man of Gujarat. In fact, the Sangh (RSS) decided to go back to its core theme (Hindutva) even at the cost of BJP not gaining power.

Congress has been wooing your party in a bid to expand its alliance and find new partners. It appears that the UPA government at the Centre is soft to your party. Will you have any alliance with Congress?

The question does not arise. We cannot have any truck with Congress. In fact, BJP has been helping Congress and damaging non-Congressism by raising its (communal) issues. Whenever the party abandoned its issues, Congress was defeated - 1977, 1989 and NDA rule are the examples.

It is also wrong to think that Congress has been soft to us. Have a look at their decisions. They have sabotaged the struggle against social disparity. The case of reservation in promotion is an example.  

Congress is now implementing measures which can make it popular among people. The latest example is the implementation of Food Security Programme. It is also pushing other measures like the pro-farmer Land Acquisition Bill. How do you see it?

Congress did nothing until now and suddenly decided to implement the Food Security Programme through an ordinance. This has been done with an eye on elections. We are opposed to its implementation without discussion in Parliament. Taking such an important policy decision without taking views of other political parties is not a healthy convention.

What are the prospects for a non-Congress, non-BJP third front? Do you see it happening before 2014?

If third front is to come into existence, it will only come after 2014 elections, not before that. We are in negotiations on it. In coming session of Parliament, we will sit with the Opposition (despite leaving NDA).

To many, your stance of endorsing L K Advani for the post of Prime Minister is contradictory. Why is Advani acceptable and Modi not?

It was wrongly publicised that we want Advani as Prime Minister. We have never said that. It was a media organisation which made it out that way. We never talk about individuals. We are  concerned with issues. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani led the BJP abiding by the NDA agenda which excludes communal issues.
 
If BJP comes to accept NDA agenda and agrees to abandon its (communal) issues, would you go back to NDA fold?

It is not possible now. Moreover, they cannot go back from the position they have taken. Sangh is hell bent to pursue its agenda and they will not allow it to be diluted.

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(Published 27 July 2013, 17:46 IST)

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