Cong MPs favour snap poll

NEW DELHI, Nov 18: Congress president Sitaram Kesri's ploy to buy time on the Jain Commission report seems to be failing with a large secti...

NEW DELHI, Nov 18: Congress president Sitaram Kesri8217;s ploy to buy time on the Jain Commission report seems to be failing with a large section of party MPs preferring a snap poll to another deal with the United Front UF.

Congress MPs across the country continued to depose today before party general secretaries on what they feel about the issue. They were asked what the Congress should do vis-a-vis the UF on the Jain Commission report and what the party should do in case the Front fails to heed to the Congress.

Barring a few exceptions, MPs felt the Congress must insist on the ouster of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK from the UF Ministry and that the party should withdraw support to the Government if the DMK stays. Put together, this meant the MPs would rather fight an election on the issue than cobble together another arrangement with the UF to 8220;keep the BJP out8221;. CWC member Arjun Singh felt 8220;if signals are going that things are being delayed, it is not good. The DMK must go.8221;

This is contrary to what Kesri expected when he scuttled the passing of a Congress Parliamentary Party CPP resolution on the issue in its meeting yesterday. The Congress president is keen to avoid political instability at the Centre. His hopes are pinned entirely on the UF dropping the DMK from the Ministry.

The Congress head was coerced into taking a hawkish line on the Jain Commission issue by the likes of party vice-president Jitendra Prasada, Arjun Singh and others. Now, the die is more or less cast. Very few in the CWC will back any toning down from now on. Though Kesri has yet not set any date for the next CPP and CWC meetings, the feeling is they will be held sooner than later. Kesri was regularly updated today on what the MPs were saying, though the formal assessment reports of the five general secretaries will probably be sent tomorrow. Madhavrao Scindia, incharge of Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa and some other States, has completed his work. Likewise, RK Dhawan, Meira Kumar, Tariq Anwar and Oscar Fernandes are almost through.

Apparently only Scindia and Anwar have some mixed feedback to report, with the Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh units voicing caution before precipitating a mid-term poll. In these two areas, and in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and the northern States, the Congress has to face the BJP as the main opponent. This is making some MPs here have second thoughts. But MPs from the North-East, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat are ready for elections.

However, the South-North divide on the issue, with the West supporting the North on buying time, is cause for concern. The southern MPs, who form bulk of the Congress strength in Lok Sabha, are keen on forcing an election.