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Prasada, Pilot to challenge Sonia

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Senior Congress leaders Jitendra Prasada and Rajesh Pilot plan to challenge party chief Sonia Gandhi, during the final phase of the party organisational polls in September-end, according to a party general secretary.

The general secretary, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, contended that their recent activities, especially Prasada's, had convinced the leadership that "they could not be counted during times of crises".

He said apart from the party's Uttar Pradesh unit, which had been "keeping tabs" on Prasada ever since Salman Khursheed became state Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief, the high command had been monitoring the activities of the duo in recent months.

The general secretary, however, admitted that the "soft line" being pursued by the high command towards outspoken party leaders was instrumental in "fanning dissidence", as reflected in the duo's assertion in Jhansi on the occasion of the ninth death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. Prasada and Pilot refrained from heaping the customary praise on Sonia on such occasions.

In recent months, Congress leaders like former party spokesman Kapil Sibal, Dr Balram Jakhar and K Karunakaran, have indirectly attacked Sonia by dwelling on the weaknesses of the leadership, which they said was responsible for the party's drift and aimlessness.

The performance of Prasada and Pilot at Jhansi can only come as bad news to the leadership even though Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi sought to play down the problem.

Jogi today told reporters that the duo's statements could not be construed As a revolt against the leadership as they had talked about general problems facing the party.

Much has been made about the Congress not having an option besides Sonia, who belongs to the Nehru-Gandhi family, although detractors have asserted that one cannot cash on the family's name if the party chief was listless and lacked daring initiatives and innovation.

Although Pilot has lost some credibility following his failure to challenge the leadership under P V Narasimha Rao, Sitaram Kesri and Sonia's initial stint as party chief, he has nevertheless kept administering subtle pinpricks. Pilot's critics had underlined that after speaking out against the party leadership, he does a volte-face and denies allegations against him. But Pilot has retained ties with dissidents like Sibal and Jakhar and the leadership has preferred to ignore their utterances, which are subtly against her and the party.

Prasada appears to be a tougher nut to crack. A former political secretary to Rao, Prasada did not think twice before giving up this post. When Kesri dethroned Rao as party chief, Prasada worked for the new party chief's election. Kesri promptly made Prasada party vice-president, a post which had long been eliminated.

The wheel of fortune spun full circle when Prasada was an accomplice in the removal of Kesri from the Congress chief's post. But Sonia's gradual consolidation in the party chief's post saw a simultaneous downswing in Prasada's career graph.

This was because of Sonia's appointment of Khursheed to the Uttar Pradesh PCC chief's post. Khursheed became Prasada's bete noire and neither spared any effort to go for each other's jugular at the first available opportunity.

"Khursheed carries tales to Madame Sonia against Prasadaji which have no basis; they are a figment of imagination. Prasadaji has tolerated this with stoical silence so that the matter remained within the party. But when the leadership keeps favouring Khursheed, Prasadji is not going to take things lying down," Anirudh Pandey, a follower of Prasada contended.

Prasada's faction was convinced that the high command was biased when Khursheed was reappointed PCC chief last year. Whatever be Prasada's stance here in Delhi, it is an open secret in Uttar Pradesh that he will not stop short of anything in his quest to regain importance in the party, even if it means a face-off with the party chief.

At Jhansi, Prasada was critical that the focus had to be put back on the party workers instead of some 'self-indulgent' leaders. Pilot took the party leadership to task for ignoring Rajiv Gandhi's warning about the entry of power brokers in the organisation.

These are critical words by outspoken leaders and Sonia's political calibre stands to be revealed in her tackling the likes of Prasada and Pilot.

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