New Delhi, September 6
The aggressive campaign by Congress workers in Andhra Pradesh for the installation of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s son as the Chief Minister has alarmed the central leadership of the party for it is seen to be a reflection on its decision to allow regional satraps to flourish without any check.
As Congress president Sonia Gandhi today conferred with Law Minister and AICC in charge of Andhra Pradesh Veerappa Moily for an update on the unfolding drama in Hyderabad, serious questions are being raised in party circles over the merits of its current policy to give a free hand to its chief ministers.
Left to manage their respective states, these regional satraps have not only built a personality cult around themselves, relegating the party in the background, but have shamelessly promoted their sons, daughters or other relatives as their heirs apparent. So far, the party leadership was happy to look the other way as long as the chief ministers delivered electorally.
However, the developments in Andhra Pradesh following the death YS Rajasekhara Reddy have served as a reality check. What is worrying is that this could well set a trend with other chief ministers and their supporters to emulate the example, especially since they all have heirs waiting in the wings.
Unhappy at the pressure tactics being used by Andhra Pradesh workers, Sonia Gandhi sent senior leader Digvijay Singh to Hyderabad with a stern message that the workers exercise restraint and leave the final decision to the party leadership.
“Today it is Andhra Pradesh, tomorrow it could be another state. The party could well be faced with a similar situation if it feels the need to change a chief minister,” remarked a senior Congress leader.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s son Sandeep Dikshit and Haryana Chief Minister’s son Deepender Hooda are Lok Sabha MPs, while former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s brother Diliprao Deshmukh, a minister in the Ashok Chavan government, is being promoted to take over from him. In fact, Deshmukh is also seeking party ticket for his son for assembly elections to be held next month.
Like in the case of the late Andhra Chief Minister, Dikshit and Hooda’s campaigns have been “CM-centric” while the party taking a backseat. In the run-up to the next month’s elections in Haryana, Hooda has plastered the state with hoardings and posters about his achievements while his son’s constituency Rothak, has been pampered shamelessly.
Having been given a free hand by the party leadership, his detractors fear that Hooda will grab a bulk of the party tickets for his supporters, which can create complications after the elections. They believe Hooda will have a field day in the selection of candidates as his chief bête noire, state Finance Minister Birender Singh, will be occupied with the proceedings of the Maharashtra election screening committee that he heads.
