The Hindu : Congress factions sharpen claws

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Thursday, Mar 18, 2004

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Congress factions sharpen claws

By Our Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA, MARCH.17. Sharp contradictions in the warring factions of the State unit of the Congress are coming to the fore on the issue of admitting into the party Mr. Sukh Ram, who is facing several corruption charges.

On the one hand is the Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh — who fiercely opposed to Mr. Sukh Ram's entry into the party during the Assembly elections last year — now apparently interested in taking back the chief of the Himachal Vikas Congress without any "preconditions". He has gone on record to say, " Mr. Sukh Ram is welcome if he comes unconditionally."

And on the other hand is the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Vidya Stokes, who, while expressing surprise at Mr. Singh's statement, has said no proposal has come from either side on the merger or entry of the HVC leader into the Congress.

Even the AICC spokesman, Anand Sharma, who filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha yesterday, in response to a question told reporters that Mr. Sukh Ram continues to face charges and he was expelled by the party High Command. He said only the party chief has the right to take any decision regarding him. "Until then the expulsion stands," he said categorically.

Several party workers, without wanting to be quoted, said the AICC would never take such decision (of taking Mr. Sukh Ram back) and offer an issue to the already aggressive opposition.

Mr. Anand Sharma who has now promised to help the government implement its election manifesto, said the Congress had got a huge mandate to fight corruption and Mr. Sukh Ram will continue to remain expelled till he comes out unscathed from the various corruption charges against him.

Taking back the other Congress rebels in to the party fold and a recent AICC communiqué in this regard has become another contentious issue among the warring factions. The letter by the Congress in-charge of the State, Mr. Ashok Gehlot, says only four Independent MLAs have been made associate members of the Congress Legislative Party. They are Sohan Lal, Biru Ram, Kuldip Pathania and Subhash Chand.

But the Chief Minster is refusing to go by this list and made a parallel statement that one another independent MLA, Rakesh Verma, from Theog has also been made an associate member. Theog has been a long time constituency Ms. Vidya Stokes and Mr. Verma has been her arch rival. He has once defeated her when he joined BJP before the 1993 elections.

The Chief Minister told the media that the recent list of rebels was not the final list and many more "rebels would now be coming into the party".

Ms. Stokes contention, on the other hand, is that "such efforts would weaken the party cadres and traitors who once ditched the party in crisis should not be encouraged or taken back".

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Congress factions sharpen claws