M A I N   N E W S

AICC reshuffle to contain dissidence
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20
The Chief Ministers of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) have every reason to be cheerful after Congress President Sonia Gandhi effected AICC reshuffle.

The shifting of Mr Nawal Kishore Sharma from Haryana, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad from Himachal Pradesh and moving Ms Ambika Soni from the important Hindi-belt states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to Jammu Kashmir and Uttaranchal perhaps had a hidden message of conveying Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s displeasure over growing dissidence in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

The new division of work at the party headquarters is indicative of the reaffirmation of faith of Mrs Sonia Gandhi in the established leadership of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Instead of snubbing the “dissidents” of these states publicly, the party has chosen the reorganisation route to discipline the party rank and file in these states for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Giving charge of Haryana to Mr R.K. Dhawan may have come as a major relief to Mr Bhajan Lal, who has been consistently being troubled by his predecessor and the Congress Legislature Party, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Mr Nawal K. Sharma was known to have some soft corner for Mr Hooda.

Both Mr R.K. Dhawan and Mr Bhajan Lal have been friends since Sanjay Gandhi days. Though both Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda have hailed the reallocation of work pertaining to states, there is visible disappointment in the dissidents camp.

The appointment of Mr Bal Ram Jakhar, a former Speaker of the Lok Sabha, may also strengthen Mr Bhajan Lal.

The party high command’s continuous faith in Ms Mohsina Kidwai is another setback to Punjab dissidents. Before their January 5 meeting with Mrs Sonia Gandhi, they had protested against the continuation of Ms Kidwai on the four-member committee constituted to resolve the Punjab Congress crisis. The dissidents felt that Mrs Kidwai was outrightly supporting the Chief Ministers’ camp.

The dissidents have however, drawn some consolation that their two major supporters in the AICC — Ms Ambika Soni and Mr Ahmed Patel - will continue to be in Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s secretariat.

Like Capt Amarinder Singh and Mr Bhajan Lal, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, must have also heaved a sigh of relief as the silent dissidence within the Himachal Pradesh Congress Legislature Party led by Pradesh Congress Committee chief Vidya Stokes may have been contained for the time being with Mr Ashok Gehlot replacing Mr Azad to oversee the party affairs of this hill State. Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad was considered soft towards Mrs Vidya Stokes.

Sonia may visit Haryana

After visits to Bathinda (Punjab) and Jammu and Kashmir, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, will visit Haryana to reach people at the grass roots level on the pattern of what she did in UP last week. According to a spokesman of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Mrs Sonia Gandhi is expected to visit Haryana on January 24. She may undertake a “jan samparak” programme in the Ahirwal area in the periphery of the union Capital.