Mr. Charan Singh has suffered a set-back in the first round in the present battle for decisive influence in the Janata party. This much is evident from the fact that despite his resignation from its parliamentary board and national executive, the meetings of the Haryana legislature party were held as scheduled in New Delhi last Saturday and Sunday and the top leadership made no attempt to get these postponed. Indeed, the party’s president, Mr. Chandra Shekhar, did not even regard it necessary to cancel his programme in Maharashtra and rush back to New Delhi. The Prime Minister doubtless called on the Home Minister on Sunday at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences where the latter is recovering from a mild heart trouble. But on Mr. Desai’s own statement, he did not request Mr. Singh to withdraw his resignation. Following the resignation and refusal by the Haryana chief minister and his supporters to attend the state legislature party’s meeting last Saturday, an attempt was made on Sunday, principally by Mr. Biju Patnaik, to find a compromise solution and Mr. Chand Ram, leader of the Haryana dissidents, accepted it. This was, however, turned down by the dissidents and at this stage, too, the central leadership made no attempt to sell the formula to the chief minister’s opponents. Mr. Devi Lal survived as Haryana’s chief minister over the week-end solely because the dissidents failed to demonstrate that they were in a majority in the state legislature party. This was in no way the result of Mr. Charan Singh’s resignation. Instead, Mr. Devi Lal’s move to make the speaker of the vidhan sabha resign gave him the necessary parity with the dissidents.
It is well known that Mr. Charan Singh has been unhappy over the state of affairs in the Janata party and government for quite some time. In fact a little over three weeks ago he was so exasperated by the attacks on him on the question of atrocities on Harijans that he had sent in his resignation as Home Minister to the Prime Minister. Though it is difficult to give credence to this, there have been rumours in Delhi regarding a possible change in his portfolio. It is, therefore, possible that his present resignation is also the result of grievances which are not limited to the campaigns against the chief ministers of Haryana, UP and Bihar who are supposed to be his nominees, and that it was a mere coincidence that he sent the letter of resignation the very day the Haryana legislature party was due to meet in New Delhi to settle the future of Mr. Devi Lal and his government. He might well have made up his mind and drafted the letter before he was hospitalized last Friday. But be that as it may, by linking his resignation with the specific allegation that some Central leaders are encouraging revolts against the three chief ministers and therefore his fate with theirs, he has left himself little room for manoeuvre, especially in the context of the withdrawal of his earlier resignation as Home Minister. He will suffer loss of face if he backs down and invite the charge of breaking up the party if he presses his resignation. He can let the matter rest where it is but not without some embarrassment. This need not have been a cause for general concern if this did not threaten to set in motion a chain of events which can put the future of the ruling party at stake. But it does.