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The Rediff Interview/Sitaram Kesri

'Sonia seems to have begun on a positive note'

Even after Congress president Sonia Gandhi firmly took charge of party affairs, her predecessor Sitaram Kesri has not faded away into oblivion, as was widely expected.

Kesri is lucky that the party chief still seeks his advice in tackling various matters.

Praising Sonia for beginning her party presidential tenure on a 'positive note', Kesri claims his own handling of the party affairs was 'not too bad'. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Tara Shankar Sahay:

How do you perceive Sonia Gandhi's initial measures as the Congress president?

Soniaji ne prabhavshali dhang se shuruat ki hai (Sonia has begun her tenure in an impressive fashion). She seems to have begun on a positive note. I think that is a good sign.

How do you feel now that Sonia has retained you as one of her advisors? And that your followers like Tariq Anwar have been sidelined?

Every Congress president has his/her own style. It is the party chief's prerogative. Nobody should question it.

You did not withdraw support to the Rabri Devi government despite Bihar Congress unit chief Sarfraz Ahmed's demand in this regard. However, Congress observer for Bihar, Sushil Kumar Shinde, has said that most Congressmen in the state are against supporting the Rabri Devi government. How do see the developments?

I will not comment. But let me tell you, what I did was in the party's interest.

Why don't you talk about it now?

The leadership has to taken a decision. Several senior leaders have already briefed the party chief in this regard.

You had not given former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao a Lok Sabha ticket to fight the election. Is there still any tension between the two of you?

Your question is irrelevant.

During your term as the Congress chief, you had laid much stress on giving a fair deal to the depressed and the backward classes. What do you think about Sonia?

Obviously, she means business for the backwards, the tribals and others. She recently talked about giving prominence to them in party affairs.

The Rediff Interviews