NEW DELHI, SEPT 28: The rather unusual decision of Arjun Singh, Natwar Singh, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh to unilaterally withdraw from the contest for the Congress Working Committee (CWC) is being viewed in party circles as a calculated attempt to turn the tables on their detractors and win the sympathy of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.While Arjun and Natwar, both CWC members, have decided not to contest CWC elections on the plea of ``allowing younger leaders a chance'', Digvijay has reportedly conveyed that he wants to concentrate on his state for the moment.With the fight among senior party leaders for key posts in the post-organisational polls scene hotting up, party sources say the decision of Arjun and Natwar, particularly the former, to keep away from the poll process is directed at taking the heat off the Congress (Tiwari), to which they both once belonged.The Congress (Tiwari) has in recent months been charged with ``hijacking'' the Congress since most of the appointees to key posts in the party, including PCC chiefs and poll functionaries, belong to the erstwhile outfit, the most recent example being that of Uttar Pradesh PCC chief Sriprakash Jaiswal.The growing view in party circles about the ``Congress (T) hand'' being behind every major decision in the party has also put Sonia under pressure since at the time of party elections she is keen to dispel the notion of functioning as a factional leader by giving more weightage to some leaders.By announcing their withdrawal, the two veterans are apparently attempting to take on their rivals, who have been targeting their Congress (Tiwari) affiliations and proximity to Sonia. Party circles feel that their plea of making way for younger blood in the CWC is aimed more at engaging Sonia's sympathy and asserting their loyalty to the Congress chief.Significantly, neither of them has announced his withdrawal from the CWC altogether, meaning they have not ruled themselves out from being nominated by the party chief. Of the 24 CWC members, half are elected while the rest 12 are nominated by the party president.In any case, given the long line-up of contestants for the CWC this time, it wouldn't have been easy for Arjun and Natwar to make it to the apex body through the election process.If Arjun has been trying to deflect attention from himself, Digvijay has been working hard to send the signal that he is not emerging as a challenge to Sonia. His decision to opt out of the race for the CWC is being viewed as part of a concerted exercise to win her sympathy.Party sources say that Digvijay, faced with nagging problems in his state, is trying to preempt moves by a section of the central leadership to clip his wings by giving the ``impression'' that he is more concerned with governing his state than nurturing ambitions at the centre. The view that Digvijay has been trying to convey - that he has sacrificed his CWC ambitions for other stalwarts from the state such as Madhavrao Scindia and Kamal Nath - doesn't, however, stick if the list of poll officials is any indication. A sizable number of them are Digvijay's men.
