Commentary/Rajiv Shukla
Mr Unreliable
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Kanshi Ram has established himself
as the most unreliable politician of our times. He shifts stance
with effortless ease, ditches allies without a thought, and fails
to keep any of his promises.
Today, the United Front, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata
Party are all wary of the BSP supremo's motives. This is
hardly surprising as Kanshi Ram seems hell-bent on badmouthing
his fellow politicians -- friends and foes alike. The BSP has
an alliance with the Congress, but its chief makes it a point
to abuse the Congress and Congressmen at every public forum.
While still hobnobbing with the BJP in a bid to form the next government
in Uttar Pradesh, Kanshi Ram insists on referring to it as baniyon
ki party. And in his scheme of things, Defence Minister Mulayam Singh is a goonda,
businessman and former ally Jayant Malhoutra a chor, Communications Minister Beni Prasad
Verma a badmaash, and Kalyan Singh 'communal'.
What about Kanshi Ram himself? Well, if you are looking for principles,
look elsewhere but for sheer political opportunism, the BSP leader
does score full marks. To begin with, he broadened his support-base
by joining Mulayam Singh's government in UP and then coolly dumped
the Samajwadi Party to form his own government with the help of
the BJP.
After Mayawati was toppled, Kanshi Ram reached out to
the Muslims, apologised for having tied up with the BJP and pledged
never to repeat his mistake. But nowadays, the BSP chief is again
plotting to form a BSP government in UP with BJP backing.
Kanshi Ram's strategy is simple. Even if the BSP is in power for
a few months in the country's most populous state, his party will
gain immensely. Some BJP leaders like Lalji Tandon and Brahm Dutt
Dwivedi have, apparently managed to convince Atal Bihari Vajpayee
and Murli Manohar Joshi that by supporting a Mayawati-led government
in Uttar Pradesh, the party will be able to win crucial dalit
votes in vital pockets of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Punjab, and, of course, UP during the next Lok Sabha
election. But the BJP should remember that given his track-record,
Kanshi Ram is unlikely to maintain close links with the BJP till
then.
The BJP would also do well to learn from the manner in which the
BSP has treated the Congress. The party tried its level best to
win over Kanshi Ram and Mayawati after the UP polls. And the BSP
leaders led the Congress on a merry dance. Both Sitaram Kesri
and Jitendra Prasada seemed confident that an enduring alliance
with the BSP could be worked out. But they had reckoned without
Kanshi Ram and his dubious tactics. And in Punjab, Parkash Singh
Badal was at the receiving end of Kanshi Ram's unscrupulous ways.
After having committed himself to an alliance with the Akali Dal,
the BSP chief has now dumped Badal.
Kanshi Ram has lost all credibility in political circles. I feel
that all parties should boycott him and refuse to enter into an
alliance with his party.
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