Scared Congmen rush for exit door

Over the last two days, former Union minister Kumari Selja and two-time Rajya Sabha member and part of Andhra Pradesh’s erstwhile ruling classes, Kishore Chandra Deo, have informed Sonia that they don’t wish to contest even though they were given tickets from Sirsa, Haryana, and Parvathipuram, AP, respectively.

And by doing so, the duo have joined what is fast becoming a who’s who of people reluctant to test their popularity on the Congress platform. Such diffidence has was not present even when Sitaram Kesri — probably the least charismatic of Congress leaders — was president.

The paranoia has come at an uncomfortabletime for Sonia, already hemmed in by the BJP which has promised a constitutional amendment to end her career. Selja and Deo follow people like CWC member Arjun Singh, former Orissa chief minister J B Patnaik and former Union minister Natwar Singh, who have all decided not to contest this election.

Selja has withdrawn to work for the party and help its cause, a euphemism for going into political hiding. AICC general secretary Pranab Mukherjee, who first cleared Selja’s nomination, was today forced to announce that the Congress was withdrawing her candidature. Selja is one of the younger leaders in the party and also an AICC secretary too.

Deo, meanwhile, is one of the cleaner Congressmen from AP and has been representing the party in the Rajya Sabha in the past. In a letter to Sonia, he has said he is withdrawing because is unhappy with the manner in which tickets for the Andhra Pradesh assembly polls have been given out, adding it would be tough for him to fight on a Congress ticket in thatscenario.

Apparently, Deo feels that since AP is going to Lok Sabha and assembly polls simultaneously, the pros and cons of candidates for both bodies will get entwined. In such a situation, the negatives of an assembly candidate will harm a Lok Sabha nominee and vice versa. The Parvathipuram seat should go the Congress way, feel party leaders, but Deo is not relenting. With the TDP forging an alliance with the BJP, the Opposition is on a better wicket than before, feels Deo, adding that the Congress needs to be “wise” about this. So, out he goes. He too will “work for the party” in future.

10, Janpath, however, is a bit puzzled with the rate at which people are dropping out. Sonia is considered a good card to play in the elections but with each passing day, the high command is having second thoughts. Some of the hassles are rubbing off on Sonia’s inner circle too, which has yet to announce her candidature.

Till late evening, the party was in two minds whether to announce her seat or not. Ahurriedly planned press meet, at 6.30 pm, on this subject, was swiftly cancelled. A large number of middle-level Congress leaders are now worried at this display of uncertainty which is trickling down from the top. With or without Sonia, fear, it seems, is the key in the Congress.