PUNE, November 30: Subtle hints dropped by Congressmen close to Sharad Pawar indicate that he may emerge as the architect of a split in the Congress with the break-away group supporting a secular national coalition government mooted by Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma .``He is in a mood to take the plunge,'' a veteran Congressman and a long-time political philosopher-friend of Pawar said speaking to the The Indian Express. Pawar's friends in sugar rich Western Maharashtra too favour his ``taking the risk in the larger national interests.'' Moreover crossing the floor to support a secular national government could be right move at a time when a cross section of ideologues are chanting the secular mantra, Congressmen close to Pawar rationlised.Seen in the context of Congress president Sitaram Kesri's suicidal bravado and the mounting pressure on political parties from various quarters - especially the corporate sector - to avoid snap polls, it would be no surprise if Pawar supported by ``like-minded heavyweights'' from the South, crosses the floor, the Congressman said.Even while keeping himself busy at New Delhi, reportedly exploring the feasibility of his latest political endeavour, Pawar was constantly in touch with ``confidantes '' in Pune and Mumbai and close friends from down South.Sources close to Pawar have also hinted at the former Maharashtra Chief Minister rendering a body blow to Kesri by grouping with former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, and the anti-Kesri lobby comprising Madhavrao Scindia and N Karunakaran.Pawar, who is the leader of Congress Legislative Party (CLP), was particularly upset over Kesri sidetracking both the CLP and the Congress Working Committee, before calling on President K R Narayanan to stake his claim for Prime Minister's office.As has been reported earlier, Pawar did not take this lying down and minced no words while expressing his displeasure in the CWC that followed Kesri's meeting with the President. Bitter at Kesri's moves, a veteran Congressman here also pooh-poohed the hopes of Sonia Gandhi helping to rejuvenate the crumbling Congress. ``Sonia's charisma is a myth,'' he opined.If Pawar's maneauvours come through, there is no doubt that he would have nine of the 15 Congress MPs from Maharashtra to his side. At least three more are likely to join the bandwagon at the instance of Narasimha Rao, supporters here revealed. Pawar could also manage to cobble the required numbers with support from his friends in south and southeast, they explained.An old hand at switching over at the opportune time, Pawar had displayed his prowess on home ground way back in 1978 when he masterminded the fall of the Vasantdada Patil-led Congress government to grab the gaddi as the leader of the Progressive Democratic Front. And interestingly, among his allies were a cross section including Jan Sanghis and socialists.
