Suspense builds up over new CPP chief

NEW DELHI, March 6: The Congress has put off its crucial parliamentary party meeting by several days with indications that it may not be hel...

NEW DELHI, March 6: The Congress has put off its crucial parliamentary party meeting by several days with indications that it may not be held before March 12. Apparently, Sonia Gandhi, who will practically decide who will be Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) head, is not keen to make a choice before the nature of the CPP leader’s job becomes clear.

The CPP leader is usually chosen soon after results of a general election are declared. But this time, the situation is tricky and the Congress high command is going slow before precipitating anything. One view is that the party may have to renew its efforts to form a secular government should the BJP not be able to form one of its own.

In that case, the CPP leader could be a potential prime minister and this is leading to Sonia holding her cards, sources close to 10, Janpath said today. On the other hand, if the Congress sits in the Opposition, the CPP leader will become the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a job with its own demands.

Story continues below this ad

This againmay require an amendment to the CPP leader’s choice. This is the current problem Sonia is grappling with, the sources said. However, a day after the CWC all but handed over the party to her, Sonia began preparations to take control of the 113-year-old Congress with her first “hint” that there should be no contest for the post of CPP leader.

A contest to the CPP leader’s post could dilute Sonia’s hold over the party which has already taken a minor bruise in the form of defeats in the Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. These two were believed to be her strongholds but the Congress lost both seats.

The first task Sonia has apparently given herself is ensuring a smooth anointment of the CPP leader by consensus. This would imply that people like Sharad Pawar, Rajesh Pilot, Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, Madhavrao Scindia and K Karunakaran, who are among the possible contenders, may be advised to go by Sonia’s choice as passed in one of the two CWC resolutions yesterday.At the moment, for sundryreasons, CWC member Sharad Pawar appears to be the front-runner for the post which he had aspired for in 1996 but didn’t get. Pawar has been meeting Sonia on a daily basis and had a long meeting even today, striving to arrive at a workable understanding with her.

Pawar hasn’t had very cordial relations with 10, Janpath in the past but seems to have worked hard to overcome this handicap recently.

Story continues below this ad

In addition to his obvious clout in the party, having delivered the maximum number of Congress MPs from his State, Pawar has been talking of hisproximity to large sections of the United Front. Pawar is friendly withMulayam Singh Yadav, A B Bardhan, RPI leaders, Deve Gowda and others and is marketing this to boost his chances.

But the path to the CPP leader’s post is filled with rival contenders including party president Sitaram Kesri. Current indications are that Kesri may find it difficult to retain the post with the levers of power having shifted to 10, Janpath. Yesterday, the CWC passed a rare resolutionwhere the party president was "not" authorised to take any decision, a clear indication that Kesri is no longer in favour.