Sonia8217;s preventive measures may backfire

NEW DELHI, NOV 8: Taking Jitendra Prasada's challenge a bit too seriously, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has pulled out all stops to ensure ...

NEW DELHI, NOV 8: Taking Jitendra Prasada8217;s challenge a bit too seriously, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has pulled out all stops to ensure her victory in the coming party polls. In the process, however, she has undermined the credibility of the entire poll process and made a martyr of Prasada, leading a lonely crusade against all odds.

The latest exercise in the 8220;Save Sonia8221; campaign is to delink the election of PCC chiefs in various states from that of the party president8217;s which is slated for November 12. Earlier, it had been announced that elections for Congress president and the PCC chiefs were scheduled to take place on the same day since the electoral college of PCC delegates for both the posts was the same.

But after convening a meeting of all Pradesh Returning Officers PROs on Tuesday, the party8217;s election chief Ram Niwas Mirdha 8220;left the date for holding the election of PCC chiefs to the respective PROs8221;. Logistical problems and lack of infrastructure were cited as the official reasons for the step.

The real motive, however, is to prevent contests among rivals in faction-ridden states and allow Sonia to nominate her men head the state units after she is elected on November 12. Contests for PCC chiefs would result in an erosion of her authority as well as bring factional fighting to the fore. A postponement will keep all the incumbent PCC chiefs on their toes to ensure that the PCC delegates vote for Sonia. It8217;s the loyalty game all over again.

In Uttar Pradesh, Prasada loyalist and party MP from Jhansi S S Bundela has already thrown his hat in the ring against incumbent and Sonia nominee S P Jaiswal while similar contests were expected in Kerala, Gujarat, Orissa and Maharashtra. Now efforts are being made by Sonia8217;s supporters to get the PCCs to authorize the high command to chose their chief.

In the loyalty bug which has bitten the Congress, the CWC has already rallied behind Sonia, PCCs have passed resolutions affirming their faith in her while party chief ministers have come out against Prasada.

With the support of the entire Congress machinery, a jittery Sonia may have succeeded in bulldozing Prasada into a corner but in the bargain she has provided that much more credibility to the issues of free and fair elections and inner party democracy being raised by him.

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The senior CWC member drive home his point on Tuesday when he asserted: 8220;Why are they so scared of me8230;it is obvious democracy has become dispensable in the party8230;They may lock the PCC headquarters but they cannot confine the party workers8217; conscience.8221;

He said that senior leaders and PCC delegates were even scared of talking to him over the telephone lest they be targeted. 8220;They tell me not to mention their conversation with me anywhere8230;the Seva Dal president of Tamil Nadu who came to receive me in Chennai was given the sack on Tuesday,8221; he said.