In its 1996 and 1998 election manifestos. the BJP vowed to eliminate "bhaya", "bhukh" and "bhrashtachar" (fear, hunger and corruption). Within four weeks of releasing its latest document of commitments, the party seems to have given a complete go-by to the anti-corruption plank by joining forces with a scam-tainted Sukh Ram and his Himachal Vikas Party.

The BJP, which had accused the former Communication Minister of entering into "dubious" deals and "controversial" telecom contracts and disrupted Parliament for 13 days did not hesitate to strike its own deal with him when the elections delivered a hung Assembly in Himachal.

The package reportedly worked out between the two includes the HVP's backing for a BJP-led Government, both at the Centre and in the State and Mr. Sukh Ram's withdrawal from the Mandi Parliamentary poll in favour of the BJP candidate. It also includes his rehabilitation as a Cabinet Minister in the State, and a Rajya Sabha nomination for his son, Anil Sharma, who in 1996 had as unceremonious an exit from government as his father had when the CBI raids unearthed an astounding treasure- trove from their residence.

That the party's political and morality graph may have slipped from "Ram to Sukh Ram" as the Congress has put it - does not seem to trouble the party at all ... Because of its decision to tie-up with Ms. J. Jayalalitha and her AIADMK, notwithstanding charges of corruption pending against her, it was considered only a matter of time before the BJP rushed to shake hands with leaders it condemned as corrupt ...

The two parties fought each other in almost every Assembly segment. But when the elections threw up a House where the HVP and the lone Independent could tilt the balance, the BJP decided to shut its eyes ...                        (Source: The Hindustan Times, 26 March, 1998)