INDIA was plunged into a political crisis yesterday after the 10 month old United Front coalition government lost a vote of confidence in parliament, a defeat almost certain to force the country into an election, the second in less than a year.
The 13 party left of centre coalition of the Prime Minister, Mr R.D. Deve Gowda, was voted out of office by 292 votes to 158 in the 544 member Lok Sabha (lower house) after the Congress party withdrew support from it last month.
I have never, ever aspired to this office," Mr Gowda (63) said in his last speech to parliament before his party lost its majority. The United Front is India's fourth coalition government to fall in less than a year.
The onus is now on President Shankar Dayal Sharma, who has to decide whether to hold fresh elections or invite other political parties to try to form a coalition.
The Congress party, which has ruled India for nearly 45 of the 50 years since independence, did not join the United Front coalition, which assumed office last June after an inconclusive general election, but supported it from "outside".
But the Congress leader, Mr Sitaram Kesri (77), withdrew his party's support for the government on March 30th, accusing it of lacking the will to govern and fuelling sectarianism, inflation and unemployment.
The no confidence vote has created a financial crisis, as the budget for 1997-98 has to be passed by May 14th, after which all tax proposals lapse and the government faces bankruptcy.
Fearing a resource crunch, several trade and industry associations have appealed to all political parties to ensure the passage of the United Front's growth orientated budget regardless of the outcome of the confidence vote.
Business spokesman Mr H.L. Somany said yesterday the country now faced an industrial crisis and a sharp fall in exports. The budget is the only ray of hope for the whole nation, and industry in particular," he said.
The no confidence vote will also jeopardise the election of the president and vice president, scheduled to be held before August. The two are chosen by an electoral college comprising MPs and legislators from 25 states.
Analysts, meanwhile, said that should the Hindu fundamentalist Bhartiya Janata Party and its allies, who have 193 MPs, be called upon to form a government for a second time, they would find alliances with regional parties difficult because of BJP's anti Muslim policies.
After emerging as the largest party after the last election, the BJP was asked to form the government, but resigned after 13 days, unable to prove its parliamentary majority.
