Any Party Will

IF OPPORTUNISM needed a face, Himachal Vikas Congress supremo Sukh Ram could be it. Five years after his brand new party won 10 per cent of ...

IF OPPORTUNISM needed a face, Himachal Vikas Congress supremo Sukh Ram could be it. Five years after his brand new party won 10 per cent of the vote and four assembly seats, and tied up with the BJP to form the government, Sukh Ram is wearing his desperation on his sleeve.

Ideology and inclination take a backseat as P V Narasimha Rao8217;s telecom minister seeks a pre-poll alliance with any party, big or small, national or local, old or new. Sukh Ram has even floated the idea of a Third Front, comprising Communists, Janata Dal, Jan Shakti and other small players. The Himachal assembly polls are to be held on February 26.

8216;8216;8216;The HVC has a recognisable role in Himachal politics,8217;8217; blusters Sukh Ram, when asked why his party seemed to be desperate for legitimacy. 8216;8216;Our party representatives came in second in at least 14 assembly segments in 1998.8217;8217;

While his critics believe the HVC8217;s sole motivation is power, Sukh Ram claims it is his vision for the state that is forcing him to consider all options. 8216;8216;I have an economic agenda that will change the face of the hill state. The poor will benefit because the per capita income will multiply beyond imagination within no time. It will also curb unemployment. I am looking for a partner to implement my agenda unonditionally. People8217;s interests are paramount to me 8212; that is why I am running from one quarter to another,8217;8217; says Sukh Ram.

He also denies that his feelers to the Congress reek of desperation. 8216;8216;This is not the first time that I have approached the Congress. I offered them my support in 1998 if they refrained from putting up Virbhadra Singh as CM. They did not entertain my request, and I supported Prem Kumar Dhumal instead,8217;8217; he says.

And what about the BJP? 8216;8216;The BJP ditched us. We were humiliated for all the five years,8217;8217; he answers. So why is he chasing the BJP now? 8216;8216;I firmly believe the state is heading for a hung assembly. I do not want to give anybody a chance to say I did not approach them.8217;8217;

Ironically, though, none of the other political parties seem particularly keen to tie up with Sukh Ram. 8216;8216;His history makes him the epitome of corruption,8217;8217; says former CM and CLP leader Virbhadra Singh. 8216;8216;Our agenda is anti-corruption and it will be diluted the moment we shake hands with him.8217;8217;

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The BJP, on its part, is playing its cards close to its chest. 8216;8216;We are grateful to Sukh Ram for his support to our government, but the point of further support will be decided by the central leadership. The issue of seat adjustment is contentious, because the HVC is demanding much more than we are ready to give,8217;8217; says state BJP chief Jai Kishan Sharma. According to BJP sources, HVC wanted at least 17 seats, which was not acceptable to the BJP.

What if the HVC wasn8217;t able to strike a chord with any party? 8216;8216;We have a clear agenda. Don8217;t think we are totally dependent on alliance politics. We have already covered all the 65 constituencies through our Jan Sampark programme. So we will go it alone,8217;8217; says HVC spokesperson Sunder Lal Verma. And what about the Third Front? Efforts are on in that direction as well, says Verma.

Either way, it8217;s unlikely Himachal has seen the last of Sukh Ram.

8216;We want allies for our agenda8217;

What is your poll plank? Why the pursuit of an alliance?
The state is burdened by debts. We have an economic agenda that will overcome the problem of unemployment. This is our poll plank. We are looking for allies just to ensure the agenda is implemented.

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What are the irritants in HVC-BJP relations?
We supported the BJP for five years. But they pursued policies we oppose completely 8212; like bringing in cement plants, which play havoc with the environment of the state, and power projects, which do not suit the geography.

Why didn8217;t you withdraw support over these policies?
First, we had promised to support the BJP for the full term. Also, after the BJP had strengthened itself through various by-elections and two of our MLAs defected to the BJP, withdrawing support would have been meaningless.

How come your feelers for alliances are not bearing fruit?
There will not be any unconditional alliance.

8212; DR