"Should I run away everytime I see Advani?"

I really admire the timing of her decision because the Congress is facing grave challenges from divisive and communal forces. At this point of time, the decision is in the true tradition of the Nehru family. Whenever Congress was in trouble, this family led the party out of difficulty. She thought this was the time that the Congress needed her most.

The Government must ensure that her security is adequate. It is the Government’s duty to protect Sonia Gandhi and ensure proper security. Millions of Congress workers will see to it that she is safe from every point of view. But it is mainly the job of the Government.

It is not Kesri’s leadership which has damaged the Congress, the party functioning has nothing to do with that. We are out of power after several years of ruling. I can go on and on on why Congress is in the Opposition since 1996 but that is a major factor in loss of morale. And people who are leaving the party have to find an excuse. Congress leaders have been accused in the past and the same is happening now. There is no chorus. Kesri is an elected president of the party. We elected him.

Well, each case has to be studied in its own circumstances. The pros and cons have to be carefully weighed. As far as Mamata (the rebel West Bengal leader) is concerned, a decision has to be taken by the PCC and I’m not aware if anything has been done.

Name one person who wasn’t a follower of mine. The party was totally united when I was PCC chief for three years. I take credit for the party’s unity. I was elected in a delegates’ session, not in a room. They are all my men. People who had no commitment to the party were lured away by BJP for considerations. I call it a betrayal. One fine day, Mayawati withdrew support and the BJP started laying the bait. Nobody is responsible for what happened.

Should I run away everytime I see Advani or Vajpayee in public? The Shankaracharya had come to Delhi and was visiting R.K. Misra’s farmhouse (Editor of The Observer of Business and Politics). There were 300 people and I hadn’t even seen where Advani was. But ever since it became an issue, I began to seek out Advani and Vajpayee at functions and greet them. Some norms have to be maintained. A 40-minute interaction at a public function cannot be construed as political.

This is totally baseless. Whenever there is a mid-term poll, Lok Sabha members are worried and apprehensive and try to avoid elections. This time too, they had certain feelings but nothing was hurled at us. Anyway this is not limited to Congress alone. Who is Bardhan (CPI general secretary). Who are Sitaram Yechuri and Prakash Karat (CPM Politbureau members).

That depends on the CWC, the coordination committee and the campaign committee. I am the party vice-president and it is up to them whether they would like to field me (as a candidate) or use me for the campaign. I plan to visit every State Capital but I will do whatever the Congress leadership says.

You call the BJP organised. It has made a mess of things everywhere. It has never completed five years in any State and manufactured majority in UP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and tried it at the Centre. Used all sorts of means. Their moral facade is totally rubbish. What type of stability are they talking about. Do you think unprincipled alliances will give stability. Everyday they talk about Muslims. I asked Sikander Bakht, what happened to you in the BJP’s 13-day ministry. One day, Kashi and Mathura are not on the agenda, the next day they are. What is their economic policy? Do you think Vajpayee’s writ runs in the party. They are ideologically confused and their internal contradictions will come to the fore.

We are not to be blamed. It isn’t because of us. The other secular parties are so blinded by mutual antagonism that secular forces are weakening. They are responsible for it. If you think by inciting Muslims, you can be secular, you are mistaken. That will only make the Hindus even more intransigent. Mulayam and Mayawati are so opposed to each other that the Congress-BSP-SP combine couldn’t form a government in UP even with 68 per cent of the vote.

Sonia Gandhi’s entry will help immensely. We are almost ready with our campaign programme and manifesto. In Andhra, we have local stalwarts who are working out things. In the Karnataka Legislative Council polls, BJP was wiped out. We have able leadership there. In Tamil Nadu, we have no alliance yet but let us see what will happen. In Rajasthan we will gain five to seven seats, In Madhya Pradesh we should go up to 20, Himachal Pradesh is our stronghold, we are improving in Haryana and Punjab. In Gujarat we are not in a bad shape, alliance talks are on. In Bihar, we have tied up with the RJD. In UP, where the communal challenge is severest, we are on our own. We will improve everywhere.