BJP to leave field clear for PM in Jalandhar

"We will not field a candidate against Gujral in Jalandhar," BJP vice-president KL Sharma said today. The BJP had tried its best to prevent their ally from supporting Gujral and had said it would prefer a "friendly match" (putting up a BJP candidate against the PM).

But the Akali Dal made it clear that it would not countenance such a move, pointing out that under the seat-sharing agreement for Punjab, Jalandhar had gone to them.

Gujral, however, has bitten the hand that feeds him. The Akalis are embarrassed by his reported decision not to share the stage with the party while campaigning. This is seen as a setback for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who has been the most vocal in offering the Jalandhar seat to Gujral.

A senior Akali leader said it would be meaningless for Gujral to contest from Jalandhar if he did not share the stage with the Akalis. Gujral’s Janata Dal (JD) has no base in Punjab nor do any of the other UF constituents, barring some Left party pockets.

Sources in the Akali Dal said Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet was instrumental in forcing Gujral to take this line. Surjeet made it clear during his visit to Chandigarh last week that his party would not share the stage with the Akalis in Jalandhar. At the same time, he had given enough indication that the Akalis’ support would be exploited by the UF.

However, Akali Dal general secretary and Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh asserted it would not alter the situation in any way. He hoped there would be status quo ultimately, as the Akalis would have to bear the responsibility of organising Gujral’s poll campaign.

Offering the seat to Gujral was more of an emotional issue as Badal had been credited with the view that this was a small matter compared to what Gujral had done for Punjab. His most important contribution is waiving the special term loan extended to Punjab over the years to fight terrorism. Though his predecessors PV Narasimha Rao and HD Deve Gowda had made similar promises, it was Gujral who kept his word.

Meanwhile, the BJP admitted today that it had jumped the gun by announcing its candidates for four seats in Tamil Nadu on Monday. The list was to be announced simultaneously by the AIADMK and the BJP after January 21.