Sonia to give wake-up calls to CMs

In the run-up to the do-or-die assembly elections, Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to make any changes in the leadership of her party in the states...

In the run-up to the do-or-die assembly elections, Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to make any changes in the leadership of her party in the states going to polls in 2003. However, she is considering major changes in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the states that go to polls in 2004.

This means Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot may get a reprieve and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh may find the going tough. An exercise is already underway to find a replacement for Deshmukh. Though the choice is narrowing down to Shivraj Patil, deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, the leadership is still debating the pros and cons of the choice. Deshmukh had come close to losing his job once last year but had survived because of the party’s failure to find an alternative.

Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna has reportedly been pulled up and the Congress president is on the look-out for a new Karnataka PCC chief. Andhra Pradesh, where the party is on the upswing, is also expected to get a new party chief in place of Satyanarayana Rao.

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In the AICC, party general secretary Kamal Nath has been facing the music for espousing the soft Hindutva line in Gujarat. However, Sonia Gandhi seems to be averse to the idea of taking action against him as it is felt that he got the Congress juggernaut moving in the state.

Ever since the Congress lost all the three bypolls in Bali, Banasur and Sagwara in Rajasthan, there has been an outcry from a section of the party for Gehlot’s head. The Congress President sent a three-member team, comprising Ambika Soni, Pranab Mukherji and Shiv Shankar last week to make an assessment and they have already submitted their report.

A formula which is being considered is to give Gehlot a couple of deputy chief ministers to give the government a new look. One of them would be a Jat for Jats have traditionally voted the Congress but are now moving away.

If Gehlot survives, it would be because of the collective wisdom that a change of guard near the time of elections has never worked, except in the case of Narendra Modi.

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It did not work with Sushma Swaraj, when she was moved as Chief Minister of Delhi, nor with Rajnath Singh who was sent to UP. It is Maharashtra which is proving to be a tricky proposition for Sonia Gandhi.

Incumbency is hitting the government in Mumbai and Shiv Sena leaders have been flogging, not Hindutva, but the Congress’ bad performance.

The manner in which the Chief Minister organised the premier of the film starring his son also raised eyebrows in Delhi.

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