Tea-party could bring Swamy and friends together, but may not forge fresh ties

Swamy’s list of invitees include almost the entire Congress Working Committee (CWC) including Congress president Sonia Gandhi. However, Arjun Singh, who does not enjoy good relations with Janata Party leaders after the Jain Commission proceedings has not been invited, claims a Swamy aide.

Though Gandhi deferred her Kerala visit coinciding with Jayalalitha’s visit, fuelling speculations of a political regrouping, she was yet to confirm her participation in the tea-party.

“This is the only unofficial function Jayalalitha will attend during her four-day stay in the Capital”, claims Arvind Chaturvedi, Janata Party general secretary, adding the tea party hosted by BJP Member of Parliament Vijay Goel on March 27 will be a `Government function’ with the entire Cabinet in attendance.

Swamy does not mince words in explaining his party’s motive. “Everytime she (Jayalalitha) comes to Delhi she meets only the BJP and its allies. This time, I have arranged her meeting with some of my secular friends”, he says.

Swamy’s "secular friends" invited to the party include the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Abdullah Bukhari and estranged member of the ruling coalition, Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Prakash Chautala.

Among the other invitees are Janata Dal leaders Sharad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, I K Gujral, H D Deve Gowda, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP general secretary Amar Singh, senior leaders Ram Gopal Yadav, Janeshwar Mishra, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Ranjan Prasad Yadav.

Swamy has extended his invitation to Left parties. Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Sitaram Yechuri and CPI leader A B Bardhan, however, expressed their inability to attend because of their alliance with the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Janata Party sources claimed that among the BJP’s allies, only Mamata Banerjee had been invited because “she enjoys a special relationship with Jayalalitha”.

Political observers, however, do not see much possibility of the tea party resulting in new political alignments. Swamy says, “I am always (sic) for toppling the Vajpayee Government but the main protagonist, the Congress, is still not prepared.”

Sources claim that Gandhi has had three rounds of talks with Jayalalitha, but the Congress president was yet to make up her mind on an alternative Government keeping in mind the country’s poor economic health and fears of the next Government’s stability.