The Rediff Interview/Gyan Ranjan

'Kesri is inching towards a disaster'

As Congress president Sitaram Kesri strengthens his position, his detractors pray that he does not acquire sufficient political standing to revitalise the party and bring back its lost glory.

One such adversary is the party's Rajya Sabha member Gyan Ranjan who owes his rise to Kesri's predecessor, former prime minister P V Narasimsha Rao.

In this exculsive interview to Tara Shankar Sahay, he attacks Kesri and discusses several issues confronting the party. Excerpts:

You were among the few Congressmen who joined Rajesh Pilot in holding a demonstration against Kesri at the All India Congress Committee. What is your grievance against the Congress chief?

Kesri is ruining the party. He is narrow-minded and his policies and programmes are short-sighted. He does not inspire confidence. He believes in clique politics and forming his own cabal.

But the recent Congress plenary session in Calcutta showed that Kesri is going from strength to strength. Some leaders say his detractors have an axe to grind in maligning him....

Kesri may be the party president, but don't think that he has universal support. The party president has enormous powers and Kesri is misusing them, giving the impression that he is strong.

It is said you owe your allegiance to Narasimha Rao who made you a Congress MP. Is that why you are attacking Kesri?

Narasimha Raoji recognised my work for south Bihar tribals and made me an MP. I have helped the Congress to have good relations with the Jharkhand Mukthi Morcha. Of course, I support Narasimha Raoji and derive inspiration from him. People may think he is history but he is not.

Now that Kesri is firmly in saddle as Congress president, what are your future plans?

The anti-Kesri lobby will keep vigil and oppose policies and programmes which are harmful to the party. If the Congress chief thinks the party is his ancestral property, we will not spare him.

What are your views about Mamata Banerjee?

From what I gather, she has ample reasons for being dissatisfied with the present Congress leadership.... Many Congress leaders are disillusioned with Kesri's way of handling party affairs. The Congress is too large an organisation to be run on a single individual's whims and fancies.

Which other party leader is disillusioned with Kesri, apart from Mamata Banerjee?

Believe me, there are quite a few. But I cannot name them for obvious reasons. Even Congress vice-president Jitendra Prasada is unhappy. All these disgruntled Congressmen will eventually strike back.

Is Prasada in touch with the Congress dissidents?

I would not know. But I would not be surprised if they are. Such is Kesri's style. You saw the way he treated Narasimha Raoji. Many Congressmen will never forgive him.

We have already written to Kesri, but he is ignoring our letters and the writing on the wall that he is inching towards a disaster. He will pay dearly.

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