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Sonia wants partymen to keep check on BJP government

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's directive to her partymen on Wednesday to expose the central government and challenge its "excesses" which adversely affected the people's welfare, is being interpreted in political circles as the first major step towards toppling the Bharatiya Janata Party-led front.

In a letter to her partymen, she has emphasised that the present government was a "fragile coalition of conflicting ideologies and groups" and as a major Opposition party, it was the Congress's responsibility to remain vigilant and ensure that the people's interests were protected.

While underscoring that a heavy responsibility had been placed on the shoulders of her partymen, she also cautioned them that she would be watching the party MPs's performance in the Lok Sabha. The country looked upon them to set high standards of debate and informed discussion, she pointed out.

Her emphasis to her partymen to involve themselves in Parliament by making in-depth studies and analyses of various issues and subjects in order to constructively contribute to the parliamentary dialogue is being seen as an attempt to corner the BJP-led government on a wide variety of issues.

According to political observers in New Delhi, the Congress leadership has been keenly monitoring the acrimonious bickerings among the constituents of the ruling coalition, and has concluded that it might not, after all, last long. Therefore, she apparently wants to capitalise on the ruling coalition's public show of disunity, hence the exhortation to her partymen.

Given the tantrums in the ruling coalition, especially on the part of the All India Anna DMK and Samata Party, the Congress leadership is looking forward to the budget session of Parliament, which it is convinced will show up further schisms in the BJP front.

In another letter to leaders of Congress legislature parties, she has emphasised that it was their party's "duty" to oppose any action or policy that went against the interests of the people.

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