Singh in front in India’s leadership race
NZPA-Reuter New Delhi The former Deputy Prime Minister of India. Mr Charan Singh, was emerging yesterday as clear front-runner in a battle to take over from the caretaker Prime Minister (Mr Morarji Desai). Mr Singh, the 76-year-old former Finance Minister who is leader of Northern | India’s affluent farmers,! (claimed that 300 members of} Parliament in the 544-mem-| ber Parliament backed hisj bid to form a new Adminis-l tration. | But President Sanjiva ! Reddy told Mr Singh to produce evidence of the support, said to include 91 Parliamentary members of Mr Singh’s new breakaway Janata (secular) group, 75 members of the official Congress Party, 71 of the Congress (1) Party of the former Prime Minister. Mrs Indira Gandhi, 42 Leftists, and some others. However. Mr Desai who is 83. appeared reluctant to retire from the scene. He retained his post as leader of the Janata Parliamentary Party and claimed that, as the largest single party, Janata should be allowed first chance to form a new Government. A third possibility for
Prime Minister was the Dep ; uty Prime Minister am Defence Minister, Mr Jagji van Ram, undisputei leade of India’s 10CM tntoucb ables. Mr Ram, who is 7J stayed in the Janata Part; during a week-long revoj against Mr Desa|s lead lership in which la »i sister (resigned from office! and ui Ito , 100 members o! Parlia |ment left the party. | A veteran fence-siter. M, | Ram has timed things wel (in the past. In a bombshel move in February, 1977, hi left Mrs Gandhi’s rulini party, and helped to defea her' in the General Flectiot a month later. Mr Ram enjoyed the sup port of those in the rem nants of the Janata Party and a harijan (untouchable’ legislator yesterday urged at 77 harijan members of Pan liament to rally around theii communal leader. The Janata Parliamentary Party will have a vital meet, ing today when its lead ership issue is likely to bi resolved. Mr Desai was expected t( stand down in favour of Mt Ram or Mr Chandra Shekat the 52-year-old Janata Partj president who has been on< of Mr Desai’s hardest critics.
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Press, 18 July 1979, Page 8
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359Singh in front in India’s leadership race Press, 18 July 1979, Page 8
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