On edge of split, Samata stumbles on discipline

The formula, outcome of a meeting between Fernandes and Kumar on Tuesday night, envisages the constitution of a disciplinary action committee (DAC) to deal with complaints of breach of discipline. However, the two sides are unable to agree on its terms of reference.

The supporters of Fernandes insist that the proposed committee go in to the conduct of Kumar’s supporters, who, at ‘‘unauthorised’’ meetings of the state executive, state council and the legislature party last Sunday at Patna, adopted resolutions for the expulsion of five prominent members and ‘‘removed’’ the leaders of the party in both the state Assembly and the Legislative Council.

The supporters of Kumar, on the other hand, want action against Fernandes-loyalist P.K. Sinha for taking an internal party matter to the Election Commission.

There is a third proposal too that the committee look in to all developments in the party since January.

Fernandes, keen on pushing through a compromise to avert a split, conferred with his camp followers today. They included Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Digvijay Singh, Raghunath Jha, Manjay Lal, Arun Kumar and general secretary Shambhu Sharan Shrivastav. The parleys lasted four hours.

Shrivastav, when reached, said that efforts were under way to keep the party united. He claimed that ‘‘a split is unlikely”.