3 Firms To Merge With Bpl Sanyo

The turbulence in Congress, the ruling party in Orissa, due to an open revolt by party MLAs against Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, continued yesterday despite efforts by the party high command to resolve the crisis.

However, in a significant turn of events, discarding their initial stand on Gamang's removal irrespective of the wishes of the high command, the rebel leaders yesterday agreed to let party president Sonia Gandhi resolve the matter.

The party high command is said to be against replacing Gamang, since the administration is busy with carrying out relief and restoration operations in the cyclone-devastated state.

Hence, sources said, the high command feared that with only four months to go for the Assembly elections, playing politics and replacing Gamang, who was installed in the hot seat only eight months back, would send wrong signals of instability in the state.

 

The All-India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries Madhav Rao Scindia and Vyalar Ravi, who had rushed to Bhubaneswar on Tuesday to assess the situation, meanwhile, left for Delhi yesterday without arriving at any solutions.

They are expected to apprise Sonia Gandhi of the developments here. Earlier in the day, Gamang had rushed to Delhi to meet Sonia.

Talking to newsmen at the airport before his departure, Scindia refused to comment on the possibility of replacing Gamang as the Chief Minister. "I cannot say anything on the matter", he said.

He, however, said the sentiment of the Congress legislative party would be taken into consideration before arriving at any

decision.