New Delhi, July 7
A meeting of the UPA coordination committee is likely to be scheduled before the monsoon session of Parliament commencing this month-end to sort out differences on the Centre’s disvestment plans which were put on hold by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday following objections from the DMK.
This was discussed by the Prime Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi when they met this evening, ahead of the weekly core group meeting. The two leaders, it is learnt, deliberated upon yesterday’s developments which forced Dr Singh to call a temporary halt to the UPA government’s divestment plans.
The Prime Minister took this decision after a key UPA ally, the DMK , threatened to pull out of the coalition if the Centre did not withdraw its decision to sell off 10 per cent stake in the Tamil Nadu-based Neyveli Lignite Corporation. Similarly, the UPA government’s decision to offload its stake in NALCO was strongly opposed by the Orissa Congress unit.
The
PM-Sonia meeting today assumes significance as there were reports that the Dr Singh was “upset
and frustrated” over the manner in which key economic policies were being vetoed by UPA partners. In addition, there is a sizeable section in the Congress which has serious reservations over disvestment
of profit-making PSUs. Mrs Gandhi is also learnt to favour a cautious approach
on disvestment.
Given the strong views among the UPA partners on this issue, it has become imperative for the leaders of the ruling combine to sort out their
differences. The Prime Minister has already stated that he will be discussing these issues with the allies.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office was today compelled to put out a statement denying rumours that Dr Manmohan Singh was planning to resign after he was forced to put off all divestment proposals. “There is no truth in these rumours,” a PMO spokesperson said, describing these as baseless and speculative.
These rumours had been doing the rounds through the day in view of the reports that the Prime Minister was feeling stifled and was not being able to function because of the pressure being exerted by UPA partners.
