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Congressmen feel let down by old faces in new CWC

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's apparent inability to use the carte blanche given to her by partymen at the recent All India Congress Committee session, has come in for sharp criticism from some Congress leaders, who are upset at the "cosmetic changes effected by her in the Congress Working Committee.

According to a senior Congress leader from Madhya Pradesh, the party chief's first revamp of the party's decision-making body has been unspectacular, contrary to expectations in various quarters which had anticipated 'revolutionary changes' that would put the party on the road to unbridled progress.

The senior Congressman lamented that by retaining virtually all elected members of the CWC, she has failed to capitalise on the free hand given to her by the party. He said this reinforced the belief in party circles that she did not want to displease any elected CWC member, all of whom have been there since her predecessor Sitaram Kesri's term as Congress president.

What was worse was Sonia's inability to make changes in the elected component of the CWC could make these members think that they were indispensable, the politician pointed out.

The retention of Tariq Anwar in the CWC as well as party general secretary, has also elicited much criticism from Kesri's detractors. A former party MP said this was a grave mistake because it exposed Sonia to the "machinations" of the Kesri camp which was still active. The former MP said partymen, who were looking forward to some inspiring leadership from Sonia, were disappointed because "the same party leaders, who enjoyed Kesri's patronage, would also call the shots now."

He felt the Congress's image was severely dented under P V Narasimha Rao and Kesri, and the retention of the same crop of leaders around the party chief was no solution.

The induction of Mani Shankar Aiyar as party secretary has also disconcerted many Congressmen. Aiyar had left the Congress shortly before the general election after alleging that Kesri was destroying the party, and his low-profile return was unnoticed until Monday when the list of office-bearers was distributed. While Aiyar is a known Rajiv loyalist and is dedicated to Sonia, some Congressmen contended that the party chief had upgraded the joint secretary's post to secretary in order to please Aiyar.

Another Congress leader from Maharashtra felt Sonia had not applied her mind to the appointment of party secretaries, as evidenced by the induction of several of Sharad Pawar's followers. Mukul Wasnik, V Narayan Swamy, Sudhir Sawant and others who have been appointed as party secretaries owe allegiance to Pawar, an aspirant for the party's top slot, he said.

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