LUCKNOW, NOV 20: Things are coming to a head in the faction-ridden Uttar Pradesh Congress where senior party members have more or less united to ensure the ouster of state chief Salman Khursheed even as he tries to assess the attitude of central leaders by taking some controversial decisions.Senior party leader Ranjit Singh Judeo has even faxed a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, alleging that party members in the state feared that Khursheed and his coterie would try to change the resolution passed at a meeting with Rajesh Pilot a few days back. The resolution had stated that all PCC members should submit their resignation to Sonia Gandhi to enable her to revamp the party and this was passed by all members in the presence of Rajesh Pilot as well as Salman Khursheed.``But we apprehend that an attempt can be made on part of Salman and his team to change the resolution with a new condition that all resignations should be given to Salman and not our AICC chief,'' the letter said. State Congress leadersalso questioned his move to appoint a state-level panel under ex-CM Ram Naresh Yadav to investigate the party's performance in the LS elections, where it did not perform as well as expected.``There is no reason for any state committee at a time when two committees - led by A.K. Antony and Rajesh Pilot have already been entrusted with the responsibility of finding reasons for the party's failure at the hustings by our central leadership,'' a senior leader said on the condition of anonymity.Khursheed recently had to eat humble pie when his decision to expel UPCC computer cell in-charge Syed Jamin from the party for alleged anti-party activities was stayed by Sushi Kumar Shinde, CWC in-charge of UP affairs.``This has sent a clear message that the party leadership is not happy with Khursheed and may take the harsh decision (of sacking him) sooner or later as was hinted by Sonia Gandhi. During her thanksgiving visit to Amethi last month, (she had said) that state committees need to be revamped,'' pointedout another party leader.The anti-Khursheed campaign, which came to the fore during a felicitation function of elected MPs of the party at Lucknow last month, has gathered momentum. Several Congress leaders openly squabbled during the meeting with Rajesh Pilot. Another meeting of party legislators and MLCs at Ammar Rizvi's house also accused the state leadership of mismanaging party affairs.``We have conveyed our feelings to the AICC chief and she will have to take a harsh decision if the party is really serious about shoring up its electoral base in the state, especially at a time when there is not even the remotest possibility of snap assembly polls being called,'' said a senior UPCC functionary.
