Consensus tune dims Pilot8217;s chances

NEW DELHI, MAY 23: Rajesh Pilot's bid to become the Congress president has run into its first hitch. Congress president Sitaram Kesri's pol...

NEW DELHI, MAY 23: Rajesh Pilot8217;s bid to become the Congress president has run into its first hitch. Congress president Sitaram Kesri8217;s political managers today claimed that efforts to evolve a consensus for the Committee would continue despite the announcement of the candidature of Pilot.

8220;It is too early to say anything and so far only an announcement has been made by some Congressmen in this regard,8221; an All India Congress Committee AICC functionary said, pointing out that differences among senior leaders had been sorted out in similar situations in the past without any difficulty.

He said the party leaders were also trying to find a way out to resolve the crisis in Kerala where organisational elections have come to a halt following the resignation of Pradesh Returning Officer PRO V Kishore Chandra Deo.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee UPCC, which comprises the largest chunk of cadres within the party, today virtually turned down Pilot8217;s claim, calling instead for a consensus.

Talking to newspersons here, UPCC chief Jitendra Prasada said, 8220;There should be a consensus candidate as has been the tradition.8221;

Refusing to clarify whether that meant a no to Pilot as far as the UPCC was concerned, he said it would be in the interest of the party if the president was elected unopposed. 8220;Pilot also contested to become the Congress leader in Parliament. But what happened?8221; asked Prasada, giving hints that incumbent Sitaram Kesri might sail through yet.

The UPCC chief also contested charges of irregularities in the Congress8217; organisational polls in the state, claiming there could be 8220;stray cases8221; but not large-scale violations as had been alleged by a section of senior party leaders led by Lokpati Tripathi.

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Switching to the two-month-old BSP-BJP Government in the state, Prasada severely criticised it for its 8220;failure to maintain law and order8221; and for the thriving 8220;transfer industry8221;. The Congress leader demanded that the Allahabad High Court verdict for a transparent transfer policy be implemented and a committee be formed for the purpose. Prasada also ridiculed Chief Minister Mayawati8217;s current district-creating spree, alleging that the politics of vote was behind her move. 8220;The Government has not enough money to disburse salaries to its employees. Yet, as many as eight districts have been created, putting an unnecessary burden on an empty state exchequer,8221; he observed.

Prasada, who was harsher on the BJP, hoped that the BSP would again join hands with the Congress 8220;after being betrayed by the saffron party8221;. 8220;Both the Congress and the BSP were gainers in our electoral alliance for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as the arrangement was for strengthening the secular forces,8221; he claimed.

To a pointed query over the Congress8217; decision to extend support to the SP candidate in the Farrukhabad Assembly by-polls, despite protests from the party rank and file, Prasada said it was a good beginning.8220;Our support in Farrukhabad is to the United Front and not an individual read Mulayam Singh. This is only an attempt to check the onward march of the communal forces symbolised by the BJP,8221; he stressed.