The Hindu : Dissidence brewing in Congress camp

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 26, 2003

Other States

Other States - New Delhi

Dissidence brewing in Congress camp

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI MAY 25. Dissident activity has resurfaced in the ruling Congress party in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi with the conclusion of the annual elections for many posts in the civic body and the recent changes in the party's central leadership.

Although the strength of dissenting Congress Councillors, at present, is said to be about two dozen, but their number is likely to swell in the coming weeks as a large number of them are said to be unsatisfied and feeling marginalised and isolated in the existing party set-up.

While several others are upset over their negligible role in MCD's decision making process, an equal number of Councillors are not satisfied with the selection of individuals for various posts in the civic body. Quite a few senior Councillors, grudgingly admit that they have not been given the posts matching their calibre and seniority and are spearheading dissident activities.

Agitated Congress Councillors reportedly had a meeting at the United Coffee House in Connaught Place recently to chalk out their future course of action and how to influence upon the party leadership for getting their demands fulfilled.

Deciding to invoke the long forgotten Congress principle of one-man one-post, the dissident group also prepared a charter of demands to begin with. This includes creation of new posts in the Congress's MCD wing like the Deputy Leader of the House, Chief Whip, Treasurer and Secretary.

Reflecting that dissidence was mainly for grabbing posts and not for taking any stand, the group prepared a list of colleagues in the party who hold two posts. The dissident activities is led by those who till a few months ago were with the dominant faction of the party but now are agitated because they were not given plum post in the new set-up. Top on their target is the Leader of the House, Ram Babu Sharma, who is also the Chairman of the Standing Committee. However, it is only Mr. Sharma, who seems to have the calibre and necessary manipulative skills to carry along with him more than 100 Councillors and manage the Opposition BJP as well.

Among others who figure prominently in their list is Roshan Lal Ahuja who is Chairman of the Rohini Zone and Standing Committee members, the former president of the Delhi University Students Union, Shalu Malik, and the giant killer Braj Mohan Sharma, who entered the Town Hall after defeating the then Mayor, Shanti Desai.

These dissident Councillors are soon likely to meet the new in-charge of Delhi and senior party leader, Ahmed Patel, with the set of demands and present before him their woes. They are likely to meet the other party leaders with the plea that differences of this type needed to be sorted out before the forthcoming Assembly elections, otherwise factionalism might hit party's chances.

Notably, in March a similar dissident activity had surfaced in the MCD's Congress. It was also targeted at Mr. Sharma. They had also met the party president, Sonia Gandhi, and other senior leaders in this regard. But they could not succeed as the party's leadership reposed its trust on the Leader of House.

While the main players remain the same, majority of them are new faces, who were hoping that they would be given some post in the MCD. Some like a former student's leader, who has made an unimpressive debut in the civic body and is not satisfied with the position he has been given by the party, seem to be overambitious

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

Stories in this Section

Magical return to clean glory

'Shramdaan' for a clean Yamuna

Dissidence brewing in Congress camp

Fined for littering

A yeoman service gets shabby treatment

Nimesulide remains a bitter pill

Residents choked by burning garbage