The Hindu : New Delhi News : PCC list held back by high command

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 26, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

PCC list held back by high command

Sujay Mehdudia

Scrutinisation before approval

NEW DELHI: In an interesting development, the Congress high command is understood to have held back the list of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates following complaints by senior party leaders and MLAs over inclusion of certain individuals with "doubtful credentials". The party leadership has decided to scrutinise the list before granting approval.

Authoritative party sources said the list was held back at the eleventh hour after some senior leaders including the Delhi Assembly Speaker, Chaudhary Prem Singh, objected to its composition and inclusion of certain people who had worked against the party in the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls as also some who had a criminal background. It is learnt that the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ram Babu Sharma, and the Pradesh Returning Officer (PRO), Mahesh Joshi, had given final touches to the list and were supposed to make it public on Wednesday. However, after the filing of the nomination papers of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, at the DPCC on Tuesday, some senior party leaders objected to the new PCC delegates' list and the failure of Mr. Sharma to consult them on such an important matter.

A number of Congress legislators are upset that some of the people who were strongly opposed to them or had indulged in anti-party activities had been included as PCC delegates. A large number of MLAs also met separately to chalk out their strategy on the issue and decided to represent to the party high command the controversial names included in the list. They made it clear that their support should not be taken for granted and if need be they would speak out openly on the issue. Later on Tuesday evening they met senior party leaders including the political secretary to the Congress president, Ahmed Patel, and submitted a note on the various discrepancies contained in the list. In a late night development, it is learnt the Union Minister for Programme Implementation, Oscar Fernandes, who is also in charge of the party polls, held back the list and did not give the required approval at the AICC level.

This is the first time that a group of party MLAs have gone against the wishes of Mr. Sharma and made their grievances known to the party high command. They have accused Mr. Sharma of working at the behest of the Member of Parliament from Outer Delhi, Sajjan Kumar, and Rajya Sabha member, R. K. Anand. However, it is learnt that Mr. Kumar has not interfered in any other area and has ensured a place for his own supporters in the list.

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