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Political parties jockey for power in India
Source says United Front open to Gowda replacement
April 12, 1997
Web posted at: 1:38 p.m. EDT (1738 GMT)
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India's defeated coalition would consider a replacement for Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in order to strike a political deal with the Congress party, a close aide of a senior negotiator said Saturday.
"There is no other way," the aide, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters as the decision-making Steering Committee of the center-left United Front held a meeting following Gowda's defeat in a confidence vote on Friday.
India's leaders and key political parties sought new alliances Saturday as they worked to avoid a general election following the collapse of Gowda's government.
India's Congress Party said it had no plans to seek power and would support the defeated United Front coalition if it replaced Gowda as leader.
The Congress Party made a similar pledge after the last election when they agreed to support the United Front, but not join the coalition. The Congress Party forced Gowda's defeat in the confidence vote Friday, triggering the current political crisis.
"If they come up with a new leader, we will support them," Congress Party spokesman Ved Prakash said. "We will not press our claim to form the government."
Previously, the United Front had said repeatedly that the coalition would stand by Gowda.
The United Front also said it would not support a new government led by either the Congress Party or the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP was the main opposition party to United Front during its short-lived rule.
But the United Front and Congress Party leaders were reportedly engaging in backroom talks to keep the BJP, with 162 seats the largest group in the 542-member lower house, from making a bid for power.
President Shankar Dayal Sharma accepted Gowda's resignation Friday after he lost a confidence vote in Parliament. Gowda was asked to remain as head of a caretaker government.
Sharma must appoint someone to try to form a new coalition or call for an election. In the last election, barely a year ago, no party or bloc won a majority.
Among the front-runners to head the new government are G.K. Moopanar and Chandrababu Naidu, both regional leaders from southern India. The third choice is Inder Kumar Gujral, the 78-year-old foreign minister in the outgoing Cabinet.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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- India's Congress demands Gowda resignation - April 10, 1997
- In India: Political war of nerves - April 3, 1997
- Indian prime minister wins time to prove majority - March 31, 1997
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