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Congress reshuffle does in Kesri supporters

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's latest party revamp, including dropping Tariq Anwar as All India Congress Committee general secretary, has ensured the complete marginalisation of the Sitaram Kesri camp and given her total command of party affairs.

Anwar, a well-known loyalist of former party boss Kesri, was huddled in a conversation with his mentor when this correspondent went to get his reaction at the latter's Purana Qila Road residence. While Anwar got up and went away on being asked how he felt being dropped as party general secretary, a visibly fuming Kesri said, "Leave us alone. You can put your questions to her (Sonia)."

Party officials pointed out that Anwar's ejection was expected soon after the Congress brain-storming session at Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh where Kesri's absence could not really stifle the caustic remarks he directed against the party chief from Delhi. Kesri had questioned Sonia's handling of party affairs and had hinted that she was making decisions unilaterally without consulting senior leaders.

It is understood that the Congress high command had, during the last few months, given the impression that a party veteran from the Centre would have to resuscitate the Bihar unit and Anwar's name was being mentioned for this crucial assignment.

However, Kesri appears to have made a sizeable number of foes in the higher echelons of the party with his utterances after he was eased out from the party chief's post. And after Sonia took over, Kesri's critics, including Arjun Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sharad Pawar and Madhavrao Scindia, are learnt to have kept urging her to drop Anwar, who was seen as Kesri's proxy.

That was how Anwar's fate was sealed, although Sonia's followers in the party still maintain that no motives should be attributed to his being dropped as AICC general secretary. Both Scindia and Azad refused to comment on the latest party reshuffle, underscoring that such matters were not open to question.

Out of the three party general secretaries retained, Scindia and Oscar Fernandes are well-known loyalists. R K Dhawan's retention, on the other hand, has led to comments of his 'survival tactics.' Party officials feel Dhawan has been retained because he might be privy to crucial information which could be of vital use to the party chief.

Pranab Mukherjee's appointment as general secretary looking after Jammu and Kashmir and Union territories also indicates the party chief's dependence on him, apart from underlining that he is a loyalist. Although Mukherjee was given considerable importance under the Kesri dispensation in the Congress, party officials pointed out that even P V Narasimha Rao had brought him out of the cold because of his expertise in various matters.

Sushil Kumar Shinde's appointment as party general secretary for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh assumes significance as the Congress is trying to recoup lost ground in these two politically important states. Known for his no-nonsense approach, Shinde appears to have a ponderous responsibility bestowed on him, considering that both the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Laloo Prasad Yadav have virtually declared war on the Congress which they earlier considered as an ally.

Asked how he intended to cope with the SP-RJD combine in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Shinde pointed out that with the Muslims "coming over" to the Congress fold in recent times, his party's prospects in these two states looked "promising". He would concentrate on consolidating the party's strengths in these two states in order to restore it to its original position.

However, Shinde seems to have a tough assignment, considering that both Kesri and Anwar are known to have close links with Laloo Prasad Yadav's RJD in Bihar. Party functionaries pointed out that this fact was known to the party high command and necessary measures would be taken to avert any crisis in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

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