Online — Sonia, so near

Rajiv Gandhi used three choppers to campaign for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections. In the 1998 elections, the Gandhi family plans to use seven....

Rajiv Gandhi used three choppers to campaign for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections. In the 1998 elections, the Gandhi family plans to use seven. While planning the campaign, the constituencies that the Congress lost by narrow margins in the last general elections will be given more attention by 10, Janpath.

Data on the last three general elections have been made available to Sonia Gandhi. According to those who met her in the past three days, there is a sea change in her style of interaction. She is more forthcoming than ever before in her responses and the hints are no longer subtle. Her queries are more direct and they are on the political situation. Dressed in a white sari and flanked by daughter Priyanka, Sonia will begin her campaign at Sriperumbudur where Rajiv was assassinated on May 21, 1991. Even Rahul Gandhi, who is working in London, may make a token appearance.

The Jain effect

The fate of the Government and Prime Minister I K Gujral is likely to affect the proposed visit of US President Bill Clinton. The American embassy in New Delhi is taking no chance and has conveyed to Washington that Clinton should wait for a few more days before finalising his maiden visit to the subcontinent. Clinton’s plan to visit New Delhi in January is already off and even March, as rescheduled, seems doubtful now. The Prime Minister had extended invitations to a large number of foreign dignitaries and had also planned to undertake some foreign visits. But the Jain Commission report has spoiled all the plans.

Action begins

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The Election Commission has drawn up a tentative poll schedule beginning February 6. Sources say it is going to be a three-day affair. The Assembly elections — due in some of the States in April — may also be held simultaneously.The EC has estimated that the expenditure will be around Rs 700 crore as against the May 1996 figure of Rs 550 crore.

Obviously, this does not include the expenditure to be incurred by the political parties and candidates.

Split personality

After the failure of the BJP’s plans to form an alternative government, the party is now toying with the idea of supporting any combination capable of mustering 80-odd MPs. With its efforts to break the Congress or splitting the UF partners falling flat, the jittery BJP has sent signals that it can even abstain from voting if Gujral brings a confidence motion in Parliament. Since the UF can outnumber the Congress in the Lok Sabha on its own, the BJP may consider abstaining and watch the battle between the two. After all, the BJP had saved the Narasimha Rao government in 1991-92 whenever the Left brought a no-confidence motion. But Gujral is now trying hard to persuade Kesri to give him more time to drop the DMK and join the debate on the Jain Commission. If the Congress rejects his proposal, he would look to the saffron brigade in the “national interest”.

Formula four

BSP chief Kanshi Ram is not averse to a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party, BKKP and the Congress in UP. The formula is that all these parties should contest three times the seats they occupy in the 11th Lok Sabha, barring a few changes here and there. But the Congress is not satisfied with 15 seats and wants 20 more in the name of Sonia Gandhi. Mulayam Singh Yadav has been offered the posts of deputy prime minister and UP chief minister by rotation if the Congress government is installed at the Centre.