Dasmunsi headed for Bengal PCC

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi looked set to take over the reins of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Commitee...

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi looked set to take over the reins of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Commitee, even as the Congress High Command continued to hold consultations till late in the evening. Party chief Sonia Gandhi is expected to announce shortly — as early as Wednesday, according to sources — the much-awaited organisational appointments involving the fate of several Union Ministers including Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Saifuddin Soz and Suresh Pachauri.

While the High Command had cleared Dasmunsi’s name as the PCC chief, his reluctance to give up either Parliamentary Affairs or Information & Broadcasting Ministry has been a major hitch. Dasmunsi would have to give up one ministry, if he were to take over organisational responsibility, according to party sources.

Soz and Pachauri have been lobbying for the post of Jammu-Kashmir PCC chief and Madhya Pradesh PCC chief respectively. Efforts were also on to persuade J-K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has been opposed to Soz’s appointment as the PCC chief. The High Command was learnt to be favourably disposed towards Soz’s appointment as the PCC chief.

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Pachauri’s case has got embroiled in the factional politics of MP Congress. While his fourth term in Rajya Sabha is coming to an end in March, there is uncertainty about his future assignments. A section of the party has been opposing his appointment as the PCC chief citing his long innings in the Upper House. “Parliamentary politics and electoral politics are different,” quipped a party leader from MP. Pachauri, however, enjoys the confidence of the party High Command.

Meanwhile, putting to rest all speculation about the induction of Kanimozhi, DMK MP and daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi, in the Union Cabinet, highly-placed DMK sources told The Indian Express that she was not interested in coming to the Centre at this stage.

“She would like to spend some more time in New Delhi, before she decides on taking any ministerial responsibility,” said a senior DMK leader. Since the resignation of Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran from the Union Cabinet last May, specualtion was rife about Kanimozhi shifting her base to Delhi to be the face of DMK at the Centre.