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Sonia to decide on CLP chief

Special Correspondent

Gehlot most likely to be selccted for the post

JAIPUR: The former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, emerged a favourite even as the Congress Legislature Party in the State passed a resolution on Sunday authorising the party president, Sonia Gandhi, to decide on the CLP leader in the Assembly. The party MLAs were asked individually about their choice by an All-India Congress Committee team led by its treasurer, Motilal Vohra.

And all this when Mr.Gehlot, a party general secretary, is yet to make up his mind on the post. "It is for the party president to decide. I am ready to go by her directive. As such I don't have any problem with the present post I am holding,'' Mr.Gehlot said talking to this Correspondent. "We have held discussions with the individual MLAs and we will inform the party president about their views,'' Mr.Vohra told newspersons at the end of the consultations. "Attempts will be to reach a consensus,'' he said. He did not divulge the names of leaders that had come up during the individual consultations.

The resolution authorizing Ms.Gandhi was proposed by the former Chief Minister, S.C.Mathur and seconded by another former CM, Jagannath Pahadia. "We are for Ashok Gehlot as CLP leader. And this is a majority opinion,'' noted C.P.Joshi, a strong Gehlot supporter and former Minister. "There is a need to bring him back to the helm of affairs here. Elections are away but his early return to State politics would ensure party regaining strength,'' observed Sanyam Lodha, another vocal supporter.

The choice of a new CLP leader has become necessary following the appointment of the present incumbent, B.D.Kalla as the president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, replacing Narain Singh. The dilemma before the Congress is as to how to balance the Jat factor as the previous incumbent in the post of the PCC president was a Jat.

At least two leaders, Narain Singh himself and Mahipal Maderna, son of the former Speaker, Parasram Maderna, spoke against the way the High Command handled the PCC leadership issue at the closed- door meeting held in the Opposition lobby in the Rajasthan Assembly building. The meeting preceded the one- to- one consultation with the MLAs.

Mr. Narain Singh questioned the relevance of seeking the opinion of individual MLAs when a resolution was passed entrusting the party president to do the choice. A generally perceived notion is that a Jat-Brahmin combination is good for the party though this did not pay any dividend in the elections over the past one year when such a team was at the helm. The party, despite the fact that majority of the 53 MLAs present at the CLP meeting backed Mr.Gehlot, is seemingly afraid of the possible reaction from Jats on a decision favouring him.

The one- day visit of Mr.Vohra, along with Mukul Wasnik, the party general secretary in charge of Rajasthan, and Ajay Maken, MP, to the State capital was not totally devoid of drama when a group of persons, apparently the supporters of Narain Singh demonstrated outside the PCC office and at the Hotel Khasa Kothi, where Mr.Vohra and others were staying, against the High Command's decision on PCC president. The group led by Hanif Khatri, Hamida Begum, Dhoop Singh Punia and others, mainly targeted Mr.Wasnik, whom they alleged, had mislead the party High Command to take such a decision. At one point the group came face to face with a set of youth shouting slogans in support of Mr.Gehlot, led by the Youth Congress president, Neeraj Dangi. However a show down was averted after the intervention of senior leaders. Mr.Vohra, talking to journalists said acts of discipline at any level would not be tolerated.

The organizational secretary of Rajasthan PCC, Mukesh Kumar, in a statement today charged that those who demonstrated in the presence of the leaders from Delhi used abusive language and made explicit references of caste against Mr.Wasnik.

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