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In the clearest indication that so-called media speculation about differences between the party and the government – that is, between Party President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – had cut close to the bone, party leader Janardan Dwivedi took the unusual step of clarifying that the sacking of the two ministers – Ashwini Kumar and Pavan Bansal – was done jointly by Gandhi and Singh and that there were no differences between the two.
All newspapers have reported that it was on Sonia Gandhi’s prodding that the two ministers were dropped and that the PM was reluctant to take this step, hoping the spotlight would shift from the ministers and eventually be buried under legal red tape.
This is the second time in two months that Dwivedi has had to clarify that the two power centres in the party and government were not working at cross purposes. Party secretary Digvijaya Singh’s remarks that a a system with a dual centre of power had not worked well, elicited a rap on the knuckles from the party. Later the PM was firm in asserting that he would continue as the captain of the team till the end of the term, following a flood of reports suggesting the PM was feeling hurt at being thought expendable.
Now a lot depends on when and how the council of ministers is reshuffled and who gets what.
Although the party says the reshuffle may take place as early at 20 May, in the past, the Congress has not really shown too much alacrity or appetite for a quick turnover of ministers. Indeed the last reshuffle was marked by mistakes in portfolio allocations and several ministers reached their offices only to find that their portfolios had changed in 24 hours.
It is entirely possible that the exercise might not happen until it is absolutely necessary: the Law Ministry has deal with the problem of the CBI’s relations with the government only in July. Similarly, there is no immediate challenge before the Railway Ministry.
Meanwhile, a day after Ashwani kumar held a press conference to say he had done no wrong, Bansal followed by a meeting of party workers in Chandigarh where he too said he had done no wrong.
“I am not associated with the case... I assure you (party workers) that nothing will come out from this case,” the Congress leader said.
Bansal’s comments came even as the CBI, which has arrested his nephew Vijay Singla, Railway Board Member Mahesh Kumar and others in the Rs. 10-crore bribery scam, is preparing to question him.
“I repeatedly maintain that I am innocent,” he told reporters.
Bansal, who returned to his home town on Saturday night for the first time after the arrest of Singla for allegedly accepting bribe Rs. 90 lakh in bribe on behalf of Kumar for fixing the Member (Electrical) post in the Railway Board for him, convened a meeting of local party level office bearers and activists in Chandigarh.
The move was seen as attempt to show that he still enjoys party’s support, party insiders said, adding Bansal will now chalk out his political strategy in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Welcoming CBI investigation into the bribery charge, Bansal said, “I have nothing to do with the case.”
“I have faith in the CBI probe... I don’t want to make any comment on the issue, but I have nothing to do with the case,” he said.
