What made UF shift stance?

NEW DELHI, Dec 2: The fear of the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP usurping power by what it felt was horse-trading'' forced the United Front...

NEW DELHI, Dec 2: The fear of the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP usurping power by what it felt was 8220;horse-trading8221; forced the United Front UF to sing a different tune today. If yesterday it appealed to the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha, today it said it would welcome talks with the Congress to break the deadlock.

Reports of the BJP8217;s incursions into Congress ranks seemed to unsettle the UF with its top leaders holding a series of meetings throughout the day. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is also the coalition8217;s convenor, took the lead by consulting senior leaders including Communist Party of India-Marxist CPM general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Samajwadi Party SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Tamil Maanila Congress TMC supremo GK Moopanar.

Both Andhra Pradesh Bhavan and 7, Race Course Road, were the nerve-centres of today8217;s confabulations. The general feeling in UF circles was that if the Congress was ready for renegotiations, the coalition would open its doors.

8220;So far we have not received any patch-up proposal from the Congress,8221; observed Surjeet after meeting President KR Narayanan this evening along with Naidu. 8220;But we will welcome them if they approach us. They have created this situation and it is for them to find a way out,8221; he said.

But on the main issue of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK, the UF stuck to its stand. 8220;We cannot compromise on an issue which concerns national interest,8221; Surjeet said. He maintained that no incentive could lure any of the UF constituents. 8220;We are as united as ever. Even Mulayam today affirmed that he was firmly with the UF,8221; he said.

Criticising the Congress for making the 8220;unreasonable8221; demand, he pointed out that two years back the same party was prepared for an alliance with the DMK.

Asked about the UF stand on dissolution, he said 8220;We had talked about dissolution yesterday itself8221;, but did not elaborate.

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The Front leaders claimed that it had become necessary for them to meet the President the second time in two days because of reports of the 8220;use of money power8221; by the BJP to create a majority for itself. 8220;Big money is being offered to MPs,8221; he said quoting the figure of Rs 50 lakh for every member who crossed over.

He cited the instance of Congress MP and former Union Minister G Venkataswamy, who has alleged that he was offered Home portfolio and cash for switching sides.