The majority of MPs appear to be still behind Rao, but pressure on him to resign has increased in the last few days from those quarters that have targetting him over the past few months.
Pressure from the courts has helped Rao's political adversaries considerably. The Delhi High Court's criticism on Monday of the CBI's investigation into the alleged bribery of JMM leaders has been interpreted as a signal that Rao and others named in the FIR should be arrested.
Apart from the six rebel members of the Congress Working Committee, who have demanded a meeting of the AICC, leaders like Kerala leader AK Antony have also asked Rao to resign as party chief - but in a private conversation, claim Antony's supporters, who defend Rao strongly on the legal front.
Antony seems keen to use his clean image to take charge of the party, but without risking a split. He is among the many leaders whose associates claim that Rao has over the past few days offered to appoint them as party vice-president.
Rao seems to be jockeying to last in office until a new AICC, which his managers hope to ensure will back him for another term, is elected by year-end. A couple of months ago, he had told those who had asked him to quit that they could reorganise the party structure to give any of them any post they wanted as long as they let him remain the president.
Rao was also under pressure at a CPP meeting yesterday, which he did not attend, on the need to clear the party of the image that it is corrupt. A small band of dissident MPs, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda, PC Chacko, Tariq Anwar and Mamata Bannerjee, spoke of the need for a discussion on the issue.
They and such other members as Ashok Gehlot, Prithviraj Chauhan and Priya Ranjan Das Munshi have been raising the demand through the last couple of weeks. The party's leader in the Rajya Sabha SB Chavan, who was in the chair, said he would pass on the demand to Rao, who he claimed was campaigning in UP. (He was not.)
Members such as Chacko referred to reports from London that Vinay Kapila, former telecom minister Sukh Ram's aide, had said the money discovered at Ram's house belonged to the party. Chacko sarcastically demanded whether Kapila was the party's new spokesman.
Chacko said the party should immediately implement the clause in the proposed amendment to the election laws that the election commission should audit political parties' funds. That would help clear the air, he said.
