High drama at Akbar Road over Sonia Gandhi's decision

MANDATE 2004

Akbar Road at the heart of the Capital, and the Congress' headquarters, was besieged by party supporters when news that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had declined the Prime Minister's post started doing the rounds.

Protest demonstrations, letters written in blood and losing Congress candidate from Hamirpur Gangacharan Rajput waving a gun, threatening to shoot himself were just some of the "highlights" of a mass frenzy.

The Congress culture of abject loyalty and sycophancy came out in strong gushes as Seva Dal volunteers, National Students Union of India and various state Pradesh Congress Committees vied with each other to stage the most visible protest.

As members of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) sat on a dharna outside 10 Janpath, Gandhi's residence, they came to blows with their poster painter. "The silly man has painted Orissa State Congress committee instead of our name," said one member.

Theories and counter-theories were being offered for Sonia's decision. "Its the children, Rahul and Priyanka, they don't want her to be exposed to all this hostility," said one Delhi MLA, while another attributed it to Sonia's aversion to a tonsured Sushma Swaraj.

"If Sushmaji becomes bald, where will she put all that sindoor," said a Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee member.

Vibha Patel, mayor of Bhopal, had lost her voice by 6 pm after protesting Sonia's decision, and was slowly making her way out of Akbar Road. "Let's see if all this changes Madam's mind," she croaked.

Senior Congress leaders Manmohan Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad were nearly lynched by the crowd, just because Singh's name was doing the rounds as a likely replacement for Sonia. Both had a lucky escape.

The BJP headquarters at Ashok Road also got unwelcome visitors in the form of a group of Congress activists led by Delhi's Deputy Mayor Ramesh Dutta. Harsh words were exchanged which led to a scuffle. Both sides claimed victory, although no casualties were reported.

A crisis for some had become an opportunity for others as hawkers selling cold drinks and food came out of nowhere. Sharbati Devi, who was selling cold drinks, did brisk business as thirsty protesters had nowhere else to go.

When another hawker set up a stall next to her, things got violent. "It seems their coalition has not worked out," said an NSUI leader, taking a "protest break".

As the protests continued well into the evening, the woman it had all been for the benefit of, Sonia, remained an enigma, and kept everyone guessing as to her next move.

Meanwhile, in Coimbatore, Congress workers would stage black flag demonstrations against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, like M Venkaiah Naidu and Sushma Swaraj, if they entered this region, for making remarks against Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a senior party leader said here today.

Taking strong exception to the decision of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to boycott Gandhi's swearing-in-ceremony as Prime Minister, TNCC General Secretary K Selvaraj told reporters that Naidu should have resigned and taken 'political sanyas' owning moral responsibility for the drubbing his party got in Andhra Pradesh.

Instead of indulging in unnecessary talks, BJP leaders like Naidu, Swaraj and Uma Bharti should think of working for the welfare of the people, he added.