GUJARAT-Anti-Alliance Stand Vindicated

Anti-Alliance Stand Vindicated THE proverbially timid Gujaratis are after all not so gutless when it comes to safeguarding their States interests against the whirlwind of national politics. At the time of the Congress split, Gujarat Congress refused to join the Congress (R) even though this meant antagonising the Central Government upon whose decisions the State's economic growth to a great extend depends, It then stood firmly behind Morarji's leadership and the losing faction at the Centre. Now, after having successfully warded off a determined threat to its Government from the State unit of the Swatantra party, the Gujarat unit of Congress (0) has defied the high priests of its own party on the question of an alliance with Jan Sangh and Swatantra, It was the Gujarat unit's opposition which, more than anything else, upset Morarji Desai' s 'grand alliance' strategy.