Meanwhile in UP, Cong MLAs begin fight

After 14 years, India’s grand old party is smelling power, or at least its crumbs, in UP. The party high command may not have decided on joining the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, but the fight for ministerial berths have already begun in the Congress. MLAs have begun squabbling in Lucknow and some have already moved to Delhi for lobbying.

Sources said that the CLP leader Pramod Tiwari and state party chief Jagdambika Pal had an argument over joining the government. ‘‘You are not supposed to become a minister because of being in the organisation but why are you trying to block my chances. Mind your business,’’ Tiwari, a former energy minister — from 1984 to 89 in the N.D. Tiwari cabinet — told the man who had the shortest stint as CM.

‘‘We held a meeting on what the approach of the party should be. The decision on whether or not to be a part of the Mulayam government has to be taken by the party’s working committee but, yes, there are differences on the issue but these are natural,’’ Jagdambika Pal said.

Meanwhile, five party MLAs are already in New Delhi to lobby. Vivek Bansal, Pradeep Mathur, Brijendra Singh, Shamimul Haq and Anurag Goyal met party chief Sonia Gandhi and suggested to her that the Congress would gain by being a partner in the new government. They are also there to also lobby for themselves.