Top MP leaders stay away on Pachauri’s Day 1

When Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Jamuna Devi called outgoing state Congress president Subhash Yadav’s term as “manhoos...

When Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Jamuna Devi called outgoing state Congress president Subhash Yadav’s term as “manhoos” (a bad omen) she was only reflecting on the state of affairs in the party.

Restraint has never been one of Devi ‘s virtues, but she still managed to startle the huge gathering that had turned out to welcome Suresh Pachauri on Saturday by saying his appointment would mark the end of darkness that had enveloped the party and workers. Her comments were yet another proof that managing the faction-ridden party apparatus would not be a easy job for Pachauri.

While workers accorded him a massive welcome, senior leaders did not even bother to be present for a photo-op with elections just a few months away. In fact, Yadav was not even in Bhopal.

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On Sunday, only photographs of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi provided the backdrop for Pachauri’s first media interaction. “Whatever I am today is because of them,” he said.

But despite the high-profile connection, he could not bring any of the senior leaders to Bhopal. HRD Minister Arjun Singh, his son Ajay Singh, former CM Digvijay Singh, Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia were missing.

He claimed he had spoken to each one of the top leaders and they had prior engagements. “They will remain present at future programmes,” he said.

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