Berth pangs

While the Congress was planning to re-nominate Commerce amp; Industry Minister Anand Sharma to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana,the party has been forced to explore other options thanks to squabbles within the state unit. According to party insiders,Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hoodas detractors in the party,Kiran Chaudhary and Kumari Selja,are backing the candidature of another CM-baiter Chaudhary Birendra Singh. The former state finance minister lost the last Assembly election and has been eager to make a base at the Centre. With Suresh Pachouri in the fray for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh,the partys crisis managers are also looking at Rajasthan and Maharashtra where there will be a total of nine vacancies in the Rajya Sabha next July. Sharma can,however,still bank on the proven political acumen of Bhupi,as the Union Minister fondly calls the Haryana CM,to swing it in his favour.