COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Bickering in Congress

The impending Lok Sabha election has sparked bickering in the Congress party's Maharashtra unit.

Though the Congress had suffered major reverses in the 1996 Lok Sabha election -- it won only 15 seats -- the party does not seem to have learnt any lessons.

Party leaders keep making contradictory statements, sending confusing signals to the electorate.

Party spokesperson V N Gadgil has said the party leadership is thinking of denying tickets to MPs who made an effort to join the the Bharatiya Janata Party after party president Sitaram Kesri withdrew support to the United Front government at the Centre last month.

Taking Gadgil to task, his bete noire from Pune and Maharashtra legislative council chairman Jayantrao Tilak asked the party spokesman not to dream of getting a party ticket for the ensuing election.

Tilak said he will leave no stone unturned in ensuring former minister of state for railways Suresh Kalmadi's re-election from Pune, from where Gadgil hopes to contest.

Asked if the rumours that Kalmadi was one of the fence-sitters were true, Gadgil shot back, ''Publicly, I will not talk about any individuals. I would rather air my views at party fora.''

Asked if was trying to contest from Pune, he said, ''I am not going to press for it. If the Congress Working Committee and the party high command order me, I am prepared to contest the election.''

Compiled from the Marathi media by Prasanna D Zore

Tell us what you think of this report