Cong woes rise as elections near

Four Congress-ruled states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Kerala — three of which are going to polls this year &#15...

Four Congress-ruled states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Kerala — three of which are going to polls this year — are facing more than their share of trouble. Congress general-secretary in charge of all four states Ambika Soni says this is one reason why she is working late nights at AICC headquarters.

Considered second-in-command to Sonia Gandhi, Soni says she is aware of the responsibility of being in charge of these states, the results of which will determine Congress prospects in the LS elections scheduled a few months after Assembly polls.

Soni, also chairperson of the AICC media department, says: ‘‘Being in charge of election-going states is a big responsibility. And I feel that the media department needs a person who can give complete attention.’’

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‘‘At the time of the last reshuffle, I had requested the Congress president to rationalise my responsibilities. And that media department should be given to someone who can devote more time,’’ she adds. However, she does not hold her workload as the reason for turmoil in these states.

Soni explains: ‘‘Congress is in an upbeat mood and what happened after the Gujarat polls has been reversed. So the BJP is fishing in very shallow waters. They are in power at the Centre and using government machinery to create as much confusion as possible.’’

Madhya Pradesh was in the news recently for malpractices in voters’ lists by the state government which sparked off a row between the Election Commission and CM Digvijay Singh. He had to rush to Delhi to sort the matter out and explain his position to the high command. However, the party has been non-committal on the issue. Soni clarifies, ‘‘The problem in MP was an administrative one and was between Election Commission and state government.’’

Last week, Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi’s revelations of an alleged government-sponsored covert ‘‘Operation Black Sea’’ to malign and falsely incriminate Congress leaders again went without comment from the party. ‘‘The issue concerning the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister was away from the Congress organisation,’’ Soni stresses.

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In Rajasthan, senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was enlisted to ‘‘assess and evaluate’’ the organisation to retrieve the situation. And now in Kerala, the party is being threatened with an embarrassment by senior leader K. Karunakaran where a rebel candidate has filed nomination for Rajya Sabha.‘‘The picture will emerge on April 7,’’ Soni assures.