New Delhi, June 15
At least a dozen state party units are expected to be recast when Congress president Sonia Gandhi revamps the party organisation in the coming days. The AICC restructuring is very much on the cards and will engage Ms Gandhi’s attention after she finalises the Rajya Sabha nominees.
The changes in the pradesh Congress committees are being undertaken as several state unit presidents have been found to be ineffective. In many other cases, PCC chiefs have either become MPs, legislature party leaders or Union ministers. Caste equations are stated to be another reason for the proposed revamp.
For instance, the Congress President will have to appoint new chiefs to head the PCCs in West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir as the present incumbents, Pranab Mukherjee and Ghulam Nabi Azad, now have ministerial
responsibilities. Similarly, the Andhra Pradesh party unit also needs a new head as the present president D.Srinivas has become a minister in the new state government. Mr. Nandi Yelliah, Rajya Sabha MP, is being tipped for this post.
With Assembly elections coming up in Maharashtra and Haryana, it has become imperative to have a strong and effective team in place in the two states. Since the Congress government in Maharashtra has to contend with a strong anti-incumbency factor, there is a demand for a leadership change or a revamp of the state unit.
Party sources said Ms. Gandhi is likely to opt for the second choice and may replace PCC chief Ranjit Deshmukh. State Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is expected to be retained on the ground that any change on election-eve will prove counter-productive.
Coming elections and the need to have the right caste combination are pushing the party leadership to go in for changes in the Haryana unit. Congress insiders said since legislature party leader Bhupinder Singh, a prominent Jat leader, has been elected MP, the party has to accommodate another Jat leader. In such a case, present PCC chief Bhajan Lal may be moved as CLP leader and a Jat leader like Birendra Singh be given charge of the state unit.
On the flip side, Rajasthan PCC chief Narain Singh, who was given this assignment because the Congress wanted to woo the Jats after the Assembly polls, may be replaced because of “caste reasons.” Party leaders said now that Mr. Natwar Singh and Mr. Sis Ram Ola, two Jat leaders from the state are Union ministers, it might become necessary to again replace the PCC chief.
Changes in the Uttar Pradesh PCC are also on the anvil. This is particularly so since Ms. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have made it clear that they are going to concentrate on strengthening the party organisation in the state. Besides overhauling the pradesh, district and block committees, PCC chief Jagdambika Pal is also likely to be replaced. The names under consideration include Sanjay Singh, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Salman Khursheed and RPN Singh.
The faction-ridden Kerala Congress unit is also set for a revamp. The acting PCC chief, Mr P.P. Thankachan , is already in Delhi while Chief Minister A.K. Antony is arriving tomorrow.
