BJP faces wrath of allies for "grab-all" attitude

Among the allies, the Samata Party’s reaction to the BJP’s attitude was strongest. “We feel cheated,” said party spokesman Digvijay Singh today. “The least we had expected from the BJP was that it would reciprocate the trust and fair play that we have shown in our relations with them.”

Until two days ago, BJP President Kushabhau Thakre is believed to have assured Samata leaders that his party was considering seat-sharingwith them. Large and powerful parties such as the BJP should treat their smaller allies with respect and not condescension, Singh said.

The Samata Party plans to contest 11 seats in Delhi, nearly 45 in Rajasthan, 55 in Madhya Pradesh and 11 in Mizoram. Lok Shakti plans to field six candidates and Trinamool two in Delhi. However, BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu claimed today that he had been assured by the Trinamool’s Delhi unit president that his party would not contest and instead support the BJP.

Asked why the BJP had not accomodated any ally (barring the Haryana Lok Dal, Naidu replied that the ground-level situation had been assessed and none of the other allies were found to have significant support. Welcoming the Akali Dal’s decision not to contest in Delhi (the BJP had offered five seats to the party), he said that the Akalis had opted out because of problems about the symbol.

But this explanation has not cut ice with the disappointed allies, who are pointing out that the BJP is happy totake their support but unwilling to share seats.

As early as six months ago, the Samata Party had urged the BJP to contest the Assembly elections together, Singh said. “Our discussions with the party’s senior leaders had produced a clear understanding that there will be seat-sharing between the two parties,” he said, adding, “It is only yesterday that the BJP finally made it clear to us that it would not be able to share any seat with our party in the four states. This is something we had not anticipated.”