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Samata silent as Bhandari decides not to resign

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Though the crisis over Bihar Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari's continuance in office blew over this morning, the Samata Party, senior partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, has remained silent on the development.

Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani announced that Bhandari would continue as governor after the latter met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee alone last night for half an hour.

Even as members of the Sangh Parivar welcomed the announcement, some BJP officials wondered aloud what stand the Samata Party would adopt now.

Samata Party politician and Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier welcomed Advani's statement that Bhandari would be shifted out of Patna.

The party was keen to see Bhandari go because of his determination to replace Bihar government officials with personnel of his choice. Nitish Kumar and other Samata Party members had vociferously protested that Bhandari was selectively putting officials belonging to the upper castes in crucial posts.

It is learnt that Nitish Kumar took up the matter with Advani after which the home minister made his controversial announcement.

Significantly, the plan to shift the Bihar governor also suited Advani who apparently had his own axe to grind.

Senior BJP officials said that at last night's meeting, the prime minister minced no words when telling Bhandari he was fed up of the differences among top leaders of the ruling coalition which have tarnished his government's image.

Vajpayee is believed to have made it clear to Bhandari that if the issue was not resolved that very night, he [Bhandari] would have to take a major portion of the blame if things went awry in the Rashtriya Janata Dal-dominated state.

Bhandari, while underscoring his anguish at the home minister's sudden announcement, told the prime minister that he too is a political heavyweight who cannot be treated in such a casual fashion.

Vajpayee assuaged him and said his continuance in Bihar would greatly benefit the ruling coalition.

Advani's statement this morning was a clear indication that Vajpayee had urged the home minister to patch up his differences with the governor.

Advani's statement said, "I spoke to Shri Bhandari this morning and conveyed to him the government's desire that he should continue as the governor of Bihar."

The statement further said, "My statement had no relation whatsoever to the abilities and administrative competence of Shri Bhandariji who is one of the ablest leaders of the country held in high esteem by all because of his simplicity and integrity."

But the fact remains that Advani did not meet Bhandari when he was in Delhi and Vajpayee had a one-to-one meeting with the governor to defuse the crisis.

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