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The Dynasty: Sonia faces biggest ever challenge

Sheela Bhatt in Delhi

The bugle has been sounded, an the war-paint has been donned. The night of long knives seems to have begun for Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Ranged against her in the party's to-be-kicked off organisational elections are powerful leaders, two of whom have decided to step forward and make their intentions known.

Rajesh Pilot and Jitendra Prasada, senior Congress leaders have demanded inner-party democracy, and let the Congress high command know that they welcome and support elections for the post of party president.

Pilot told rediff.com, "Rajiv Gandhi was very keen on strong inner-party democracy. We have started the movement from Jhansi, land of the brave, on his death anniversary. Any party which believes in inner-party democracy should have regular elections so that people have a chance to elect their preference from top to bottom.

"Elections can't be held for some posts only, it should be held for all posts."

Asked if he foresaw such an election, Pilot said, "Well, inner-party democracy needs such election."

Jitendra Prasada told rediff.com,"Sonia Gandhi has promised secret ballot from the booth-level to the top. If there is elections for the presidentship, one should welcome it. If someone is standing as a candidate, one should welcome it. It's a democratic party. Internal democracy is the essence of a democratic party and that has to be maintained at all levels."

Jairam Ramesh, Vasant Sathe, V N Gadgil,Vijayabhaskar Reddy and R K Dhawan have all, in the recent past, expressed their dissent over or disagreement with the Congress party's affairs. Sathe has said in Congress Sandesh that "confusion and mental depression" have gripped the party members and there seems to be a crisis of confidence within. And, Jairam Ramesh reportedly spoke about the disenchantment of Congressmen with Sonia Gandhi's leadership qualities.

Some of these observations can be put down to personal frustration, but the speeches made by Pilot and Prasad at the rally in Jhansi on Rajiv Gandhi's ninth death anniversary are in a different league because they were aimed at UPCC chief Salman Khursheed, the direct nominee of Sonia Gandhi.

According to party sources, the Congress in UP is riven into pro-Khursheed and anti-Khursheed factions. Both sides have their sights set on May 31, when the registration of membership would close, and the party's organisational election process would begin formally. The leader with the largest registered and active members at the block, taluka and pradesh levels will have a strategic advantage in the political game of AICC membership.

To get elected to the Congress Working Committee the contestants need the votes of AICC members. There are around 150 members and 1000 delegates from UP alone, making it the politically most crucial state yet again.

Being seasoned politicians, Congressmen know in order to challenge Sonia Gandhi they will need to wrap up UP.

As per the schedule, organisational elections should be over before October 31. All factions in the party are agog, since this time the voting is through secret ballot and after 50 years, for the first time the party constitution has been amended to enable a constitutional authority to supervise the elections.

For many decades now the returning officer wielded the power to hold party elections. But now, the power will be vested in more hands through this election authority.

Jitendra Prasada told rediff.com, "This is the single-most important exercise which the Congress is going to face, and if held in the free and fair manner promised by the Congress president, this could rejuvenate the party and bring the party back to power. It will throw up fresh leadership at all levels."

The battle for power within the Congress has thus begun.

Prasada told rediff.com in clear terms, "The question is, do you want a captive Congress or a democratic Congress? Do you want sycophants to get elected or genuine party workers?"

Supporters of Pilot and Prasada are banking on the tacit support of Pranab Mukherjee and other disgruntled Congressmen whose ego has been hurt by Arjun Singh's proximity to Sonia Gandhi.

A senior Congress leader told rediff.com, "The CWC members are watching Sonia closely. They want the lady to tire in the first round. Once she becomes restless, she might consider relinquishing one of the posts she is holding. It's a psychological war to frustrate Sonia more and more. And in the second round the battle will begin among those Congress leaders who want the power she wields."

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