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Sangma's report foresees snap poll

Realising that its coalition government, riven with dissensions, might not last long, the Bharatiya Janata Party has demonstrably started preparing for a possible mid-term poll and the series of nuclear tests conducted is directed at gaining political mileage, the Congress task force final report has concluded.

The report, which was submitted to the Congress Working Committee two days back, said the BJP is now taking all necessary steps to come back to power on its own so that they could not be pushed around by the allies.

The ruling party was, therefore, talking about the need for review of the Constitution by a commission and introduction of presidential form of government, it added.

The task force, which was headed by former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A Sangma, said though the ruling party has kept aside contentious issues like the Ram temple at Ayodhya, Article 370 and the Uniform Civil Code, Home Minister Lal Kishinchand Advani has started talking about cultural nationalism which is far more dangerous and is in direct conflict with secularism.

The task force said, ''As of now the BJP's strategy seems to be sticking to power as long as possible, even by yielding to pressures from allies, particularly from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham supremo J Jayalalitha."

The report, however, brings out the dilemma the Congress faces -- whether it would be politically advisable to pull down the BJP government or face the pitfalls in allowing the government to continue. It said the Congress would be seen as a weak Opposition unwilling to take the task of governance if the present government is allowed to continue.

The report said, ''The BJP might consolidate its position and it might be difficult to dislodge it later. In fact, a large number of Congressmen believe that if the BJP-led government survives for one year, it might last its full term of five years.'' The report quotes the example of the BJP-led governments in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where it has been continuing in power for years without a majority.

But if the Congress decides to pull down the government, it might be seen as yet another act of pulling down a non-Congress government, the task force said, adding that the Congress might also be seen as a power hungry outfit.

The task force has not come out with a possible solution to the political fallout of a Congress-United Front tie-up at the Centre. The dilemma, which forced the party to withdraw support to the H D Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral governments, has been merely reiterated in the report. It, however, asked the party to be ready with a contingency plan in case the BJP government fell on its own even if the Congress had no hand in toppling it.

The task force emphasised the need for restructuring of the Pradesh Congress Committees at the earliest reflecting the participation of all sections including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes, minorities and women.

It has recommended the decentralisation of the party's field formations, especially in major states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

To tone up the party's financial position, the task force has recommended enhancement of primary membership fee from the present Re 1 to at least Rs 3 and collection of Rs 1,000 per annum from about 100,000 Congress sympathisers. It has also recommended transparency in the collection of contributions from business houses. It has also suggested the adoption of Kerala method of fund collection, levying of Rs 50 per annum from active members, collection of Rs 1,200 per annum as contributions from legislators, MPs and office-bearers.

Stating that there have been difference of opinion between the Tamil Maanila Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham basically because the former had its own agenda of capturing power in the state, the report made it clear that these differences should not be taken as any indication of the move of the TMC towards the Congress. The TMC leadership continues to be ambivalent in its responses for invitation to join the Congress.

UNI

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