Congress loyalty parade gets underway as poll countdown begins

Recalling that “thousands of Congress workers” had invited Sonia in 1998 to lead the party, the resolution sought to dispel the notion that she was under the influnce of any coterie.

“During the past 30 months, she has with single-minded dedication and determination held the party together, encouraged free debate and transparency. Wide-ranging consultation, discussion and debate have distuingished her tenure.”

Interestingly, only a handful of CWC members — among them Manmohan Singh, Madhavrao Scindia, Arjun Singh, Natwar Singh, Ahmed Patel and N D Tiwari — met informally to formulate the statement. The approval of the rest was procured over the telephone and they were asked to fax in their signatures.

The need for these gimmicks — yesterday senior CWC member and hardcore loyalist Ambika Soni resigned ostensibly to campaign for Sonia and a move is already afoot to have state PCCs to formally endorse her candidature — has, however, put a question mark on the credibility of the polls. The party president’s election is slated for November 12

Some party leaders say this is only making Prasada more of a martyr than ever before — “a partyman leading his fight in splendid isolation.”

“All these acts will only make her challenger stand out in sharp contrast as a man fighting against all odds and increase sympathy for him,” a party leader noted disapprovingly.

Party circles say the “Save Sonia” campaign is not so much to ensure her victory — it is in any case assured — but is more an outcome of a “loyalty game” among close aides. The “Who is more loyal” contest among loyalists is obviously aimed at securing key positions for themselves in the party once the elections are over and a victorious Sonia reconstitutes her team.

In fact, all these stage-managed acts by Sonia aides will only lend credibility to the issues of “inner-party democracy and coterie politics” which Prasada has raised.

The “Save Sonia” campaign began when the PCC lists were delayed till the last moment to dissuade Prasada from filing his nomination and instructions were sent to partymen all over the country to ignore Prasada.

The Prasada camp fears that the next move would be to delink election of PCC chiefs from that of the party president’s — they are scheduled to be held on the same day — to prevent contests among rivals in faction-ridden states as this would be taken as a sign of her eroding authority.

A meeting of all party PROs has been convened by Election Chief Ram Niwas Mirdha next week to take a “final decision” on this issue. The postponement of the PCC chiefs’ elections will enable Sonia to nominate her men to these posts, once she is firmly in the saddle after her near certain victory against Prasada.