CWC members put in papers

Sonia attempts to deflect criticism, pre-empt rebellion

All members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resigned from party posts over the weekend to enable party chief Sonia Gandhi to reconstitute the highest decision-making body.

The proposal to resign en mass came at a meeting of some senior leaders with the party president on Friday, which was attended among others by Ambika Soni, Pranab Mukherjee and PR Dasmunshi.

The measure follows the defeat of the Congress in the Assembly elections held three weeks ago, and appears to be an effort by Sonia loyalists to deflect a possible attack on her (and themselves), by those in the party who believe she will be unable to lead the Congress to victory in the next Lok Sabha elections and fear that in the process the party will be wiped out.

That the resignation move came even before the Mukherjee committee constituted to go into the debacle could submit its report to Gandhi, is significant, and indicates pre-emption of a rebellion.

"Someone has to be held accountable (for the Congress Assembly elections defeat). It is not enough for her to say that she (Sonia) shares the responsibility. But who will bell the cat? Who will tell her that where mass appeal is concerned there is no comparison between her and Vajpayee," said a senior party leader from Andhra Pradesh who has been Union minister in both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi's government.

The party does not expect to win the next big political challenge, the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, either.

That Congress units across the country have been voicing demands that Priyanka Vadra be presented as an emerging leader in the party represents the measure of insecurity that has gripped the Congress, which sees the spectre of spending another five years in Opposition, looming large on the horizon.

In Uttar Pradesh, there is a concerted demand to either do a deal with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) or bring Priyanka into politics. A new Priyanka manram (fan club) has emerged in Tamil Nadu.

The unspoken fear across the board in the Congress is that while the people of India want a political change, it is because of Sonia Gandhi that the change might not come about. This is as much owing to her foreign origins as it is because of a deficit of political sense.

Congressmen cite an example. When BSP leader Kanshiram was ailing, Gandhi was one of the first leaders to call on him in the hospital.

This prompted a normally acerbic Mayawati to praise Gandhi's qualities of head and heart, on glowing terms.

Instead of trying to cement that bond and turning it into a political understanding, Gandhi left it open for her chief ministers to do deals with the BSP, causing dissatisfaction on both sides.

That Congressmen are recalling such instances and discussing them among themselves, is an unhappy portent for her leadership, say party leaders.

If this kind of discussion is allowed to continue unchecked, it could lead to the emergence of a challenge to her leadership, and eventually, a possible split. To pre-empt that, CWC members began handing in their resignations on Friday and support was drummed up for the move over the weekend.

Today, Vora said he had forwarded his resignation to Sonia Gandhi and expected many others to follow suit.

The net result of the spate of resignations, will, however, only be to reshuffle the pack and for those who are currently in positions of power, like Ambika Soni, to deflect an assault on themselves.