Hegde to announce Lok Shakti poll pact on Jan 9

Speaking at the Lok Shakti Backward Classes and Minorities Conference in Mysore on Friday, Hegde made clear one thing: Whatever the outcome of the talks, his party would retain its identity and not merge with any political outfit.

Hegde made it clear that the Lok Shakti has not closed its option of entering into a poll alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls even while keeping its doors open to the BJP.

Forced by the gathering to speak out his mind on the subject, Hegde also said his party would contest from all the 16 seats in the State, which had been won by the Janata Dal during the last polls owing to the personal influence of leaders now in the Lok Shakti, he said.

Hegde’s dilemma became clear when he first urged the delegates to vote for individual candidates and not for any political party. "Forget the party and vote for the best candidate. This is the only way you can bring a radical change in the rapidly decaying political scenario," he said.

When delegates demanded a more specific political statement, Hegde said Lok Shakti had two options before it: To align with the Congress or the BJP. "My problem is that ever since the Congress split under Mrs Gandhi, I have been criticising the Congress. I opposed the Emergency and was one among those who was very vocal about the Bofors scandal. This does not mean that I have not appreciated the good deeds of the Congress either. But, I am in a dilemma over entering into a seat adjustment or an understanding with Congress of which I have been a vocal critic for more than a decade," he said.

On the other hand, Hegde said, the Janata Party inclusive of the Jan Sangh, now BJP, was born during the Emergency, in the jails in which many leaders including Advani, Vajpayee and himself had been housed. "India had the best relationship with Pakistan when A B Vajpayee was the External Affairs Minister in the Janata Party Government. Later the V P Singh Government was supported by the BJP from outside. But, I developed differences with the BJP after the demolition of Babri Masjid, which is a shameful incident in history.

"Shakti will not compromise on its secular credentials and I believe this nation itself is secular. This is my dilemna with the BJP," Hegde declared amid a chorus from the gathering.