Some in UPA are smitten with ‘desire’ to work for Cong

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,who along with other senior ministers discussed the party’s parliamentary strategy at 10 Janpath this evening,said everybody works for the party.

Jairam Ramesh and V Narayanasamy have been telling colleagues about their “desire” to work for the party organisation. But they have not formally conveyed this to the Congress high command. Jairam has no experience in electoral politics and Narayanasamy was removed as AICC general secretary for non-performance. “If the Congress president wants somebody to work for the organisation,she does not need their letters for this,” said a senior party leader.

Many Congress leaders hold both organisational and government posts. Ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mukul Wasnik are AICC general secretaries in charge of states.

“There is serious dearth of fresh talent in the party. How do you otherwise explain the appointment of Gulchain Singh Charak,a former MLC from Jammu & Kashmir,as AICC in-charge of Bihar and Punjab? Mohan Prakash who has spent hardly a decade in the Congress is in charge of Maharashtra,J&K and Gujarat,” a senior leader told The Indian Express.

General secretary Rahul Gandhi has given no clear indication about his plans,sources said. He has in the past refused to be vice-president of the party,the sources said. It is predicted that the next reshuffle would have Rahul’s imprint; some young leaders who do not hold a post in either government or party could be drafted into the organisation. Deepender Singh Hooda and Sandeep Dikshit,known to work closely with Rahul,are tipped to get prominent roles in the organisation.

Sonia is expected to effect the reshuffle after the A K Antony committee,set up to look into the assembly poll debacle,submits its report by the end of this month.