With drought set to provide fodder to political parties to score points in the run-up to the Assembly polls, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi made an early move today by dashing off a letter to PM A.B. Vajpayee, demanding timely steps to avoid hardships to people.Four Congress-ruled states — Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — are scheduled to go to polls by the year end. Drought issues are expected to dominate the scene. Reports of starvation deaths from Baran district in Rajasthan, Vidisha in MP and Chhattisgarh had left many a red faces in the party. The letter by Sonia was, therefore, a pre-emptive strike in anticipation of an inevitable high-voltage BJP onslaught over ‘‘lack of relief effort’’.That Sonia is worried about the impact of drought on the polls was clear when she pointed out that ‘‘ ‘forecasts regarding the next monsoon are uncertain and unclear’’. She said, ‘‘Unless timely steps are instituted immediately, there could be an intensification of drought-related distress in many parts of the country in the coming months.’’ ‘‘Right to food is the most basic right that we must ensure for our citizens. It would be a tragedy if, inspite of our stocks of foodgrains, we are unable to prevent distress and suffering among the poor in the event of an indifferent monsoon,’’ she remarked. Joining the chorus of Congress state governments, she said they had been requesting the Centre to take a number of steps, including strengthening of the food-for-work programme, establishment of grain banks in drought-affected areas, revamping of PDS and correcting the continuing anachronism of scarcity when there is plenty.
