India's National Magazine
From the publishers of THE HINDU

Vol. 16 :: No. 04 :: Feb. 13 - 26, 1999

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THE STATES

'We will work with Rane'

Interview with Gopinath Munde.

The euphoria in the Bharatiya Janata Party in the wake of the sacking of Manohar Joshi appears to have given way to a mood of reflection. The party at first saw in Joshi's removal from the chief ministership an opportunity to reassert its authority, which had diminished considerably after humiliation was heaped on it recently by the Shiv Sena over the India-Pakistan cricket series. Some BJP leaders, however, believe that the party only stands to lose from its association with a controversial Chief Minister. And more important, an aggressive Shiv Sena consolidation could erode the BJP's own political constituency.

In this interview to Praveen Swami, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, a central figure in his party's battles with Manohar Joshi, discussed the issues in the context of the Assembly elections that are due in Maharashtra next year. His replies were guarded and there were few signs of the glee that his party had expressed days earlier on the political developments. Excerpts:

The BJP seems delighted that Narayan Rane has become Chief Minister. What is the reason for this?

There is no question of us being either happy or unhappy. The appointment of the Chief Minister is the Shiv Sena's prerogative. We have no role to play in it. We were working with Manohar Joshi, and we will work with Narayan Rane.

There has been a great deal of speculation in the media about whether the BJP was consulted on the decision to remove Joshi, and whether it pressed for the decision. What are the facts?

People imagine a lot of things. The BJP was told one day before Joshi was removed that the Shiv Sena had decided on a leadership change. There were no consultations before the Shiv Sena pramukh (Bal Thackeray) made his decision. He informed (Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting) Pramod Mahajan of the decision, so we knew what was going to happen. Joshi himself had not, I think, been told at that stage.

One of the reasons offered for Rane's appointment as Chief Minister is that it will help end the BJP-Shiv Sena conflict. Do you agree? Have the basic reasons for the conflict been solved?

There were three basic issues. Two of them have been solved. The first was whether or not cotton procurement prices should be raised. They have been raised, to our satisfaction. Then, we were demanding a separate secretariat for backward caste communities' development. That issue has also been resolved as we asked. The pending dispute is over the pricing of electricity supplied to farmers. When the other two issues could be solved, this one can be resolved as well. It will be dealt with in the coordination committee and an answer found.

There were also other issues, notably Bal Thackeray's campaign against the India-Pakistan cricket series. Joshi was not responsible for that dispute.

PAUL NORONHA

That has also been resolved, hasn't it? Thackeray refused to let Pakistan play, and then he suspended his decision. He has agreed to let them play here for one year. In that year, I believe we will work together, and come to a better understanding through dialogue. Narayan Rane and I will work well together.

Another important allegation against Joshi was that he was shielding corrupt Ministers, notably Babanrao Gholap. But Gholap, whom your party has criticised, continues in the Cabinet. And the Chief Minister was an accused in a murder case.

There were certainly allegations against Gholap. When there is no final evidence in the matter, how can he be acted against? If there is evidence of corruption, the Minister will of course be removed. Allegations are one thing and conviction is another. And, in any case, the Shiv Sena's Ministers are their responsibility. Our Ministers are our responsibility. As for Rane, the court acquitted him and said he had nothing to do with the murder. To argue otherwise is to insult the court.

In some ways, the decision to remove Joshi seems reminiscent of Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma's fate in Delhi. That move backfired on the BJP. Could that happen with the Shiv Sena here?

The situation in Maharashtra is not like the situation in Delhi. There the problem was not the Chief Minister, but the prices of onions and so on. And the other important factor is that the new Chief Minister came to power after the elections were notified and the code of conduct was operational. She had no time to work. Here the new Chief Minister has a year until the elections. Here the Chief Minister has an opportunity to do something positive.

Elections seem to be on the BJP's mind as well. That the new State party chief, Sanghapriya Gautam, was an associate of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has obvious symbolism.

I am delighted that Gautam has been placed in charge of our party, and this has a positive message for society. That an associate of Dr. Ambedkar leads our party is an honour for us. In this coming election I believe that unlike in 1996 the Congress(I) will not be able to forge a united front with the Samajwadi Party and the Republican Party of India (RPI). It seems clear that after Sonia Gandhi entered politics, she has rejected the earlier policy of allying with Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In fact, she seems to have rejected alliances of any kind. They cannot have an alliance here when they do not have one there. And the RPI itself has split. Prakash Ambedkar has set up a separate party, which won seats against the combined might of the Congress(I) and Ramdas Athavle's RPI group in the recent zilla parishad polls. This makes clear that the name of Ambedkar has great force among the Dalit masses. It seems to me that Prakash Ambedkar and other parties could put together a strong third force. The success he had at Akola could be replicated State-wide.

Which will benefit the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance...

(Munde laughs, but does not reply.)