The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Choice of CLP leader a tough task

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Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

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Choice of CLP leader a tough task

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: The re-nomination of B. D. Kalla as president of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee perhaps has been an easier task for the party high command compared to the job ahead -- the choice of a new Congress Legislature Party leader in the Assembly. Mr. Kalla is holding both posts and it is imperative that a new person would have to be appointed CLP leader, who also happens to be the Leader of the Opposition.

The onus of the choice of CLP leader lies with the party leadership at the Centre as, back in April last, the Congress legislators had entrusted the job to Sonia Gandhi though one to one meetings between the MLAs and party leaders from Delhi had shown that majority of them favoured Ashok Gehlot, former Chief Minister who is presently the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee.

The selection of CLP leader is going to be a balancing act for the party leadership as caste considerations are also involved. Mr.Kalla was given additional charge of PCC president a few months back replacing Narain Singh, a Jat. Though Mr.Kalla received the support of influential Jat leaders of the party in his current appointment, it is yet to be known how the community-- showing some signs of a rapprochement with the Congress after the police firings on farmers-- will like it. As such only recently veteran Congressman, Ramniwas Mirdha, also happens to be a Jat, was appointed as the chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademy.

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