RJP all for assembly polls

GANDHINAGAR, Dec 10: The ruling Rashtriya Janata Party RJP in Gujarat is reportedly contemplating the dissolution of the State Assembly. ...

GANDHINAGAR, Dec 10: The ruling Rashtriya Janata Party RJP in Gujarat is reportedly contemplating the dissolution of the State Assembly. The party is in favour of holding the Assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, which are scheduled for February.

Highly placed sources in the party said the RJP leadership had obtained the signatures of all its MLAs, including ministers, on a blank sheet of paper, to facilitate matters in case the party decides to go for dissolution. Political circles view the opposition by the Congress and the BJP to such a move as a quot;mere facadequot;. In view of the constant political uncertainty in the State, observers feel that both the parties are not averse to simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. Governor Krishna Pal Singh is not seen as a threat either. It is widely felt that Singh will readily oblige the RJP Government if it recommends dissolution of the House, on the grounds of preventing horse-trading by any party.

Former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela8217;s recent tours to the newly-formed districts and talukas in the State are being seen as a quot;prelude to the campaign for Assembly elections in the Statequot;. According to a senior RJP functionary, Vaghela and other senior party leaders have already begun identifying quot;winning candidatesquot;.

RJP leaders did not rule out the possibility of his party entering into an electoral alliance or some seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress, in case the Assembly elections are held with the Lok Sabha polls in the State.

Pointing out that the BJP would benefit in the event of a triangular contest between the RJP, Congress and the BJP, a senior RJP leader said it would be a political compulsion on both the RJP and the Congress to quot;jointly fight the BJP and keep the common enemy at bayquot;.

Meanwhile, the Congress yesterday urged the Governor not to go ahead with any proposal for dissolving the Assembly, before taking the party into confidence. Senior party leaders Amarsinh Chaudhry and C D Patel claimed that they were not in favour of a dissolution. quot;We do not want to remain in the dark. Right now, we do not intend to disturb the Dilip Parikh Government but at the same time we cannot take things for granted,quot; Chaudhry said.