World | India
Congress may soft-pedal on Alva as Sonia remains undecided
Uncertainty continues over the future of embittered senior ruling Congress party leader Margaret Alva.
- By Ajay Jha, Chief Correspondent
- Published: 23:42 November 12, 2008
New Delhi: Uncertainty continues over the future of embittered senior ruling Congress party leader Margaret Alva.
Party chief Sonia Gandhi yesterday accepted her resignation as one of the national general secretaries and relieved her as member of the apex decision making body, the Congress Working Committee, and the Central Election Committee.
Alva had chosen to put in her papers on Tuesday when she called on Sonia to explain her stand after her recent outburst, alleging party nominations were sold during May assembly polls in her home state Karnataka.
According to indications available, Sonia is undecided over the course of action to be taken against Alva, known as her close confidant. Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) chief A.K. Antony is believed to have handed over his recommendation to Sonia after finding Alva guilty of breaching the party discipline.
An indication that the Congress party is keen on going soft on Alva was visible when the party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said that Alva was not shown the door. "She resigned on her own," Natarajan added.
The party has, however, refused to get Alva's allegation probed terming it as baseless. One of the reasons cited for Sonia's refusal to go in for a probe is that it can open a can of worms at a time when the party is involved in contesting assembly polls in six states to be followed by the crucial general elections after a few months.
"Action against her is inevitable. The only question is the nature of action. It all depends on whether she is ready to publicly apologise for her wild allegation, which she has done privately before both the party president and the DAC chief," said a senior central office-bearer of the party.
Options before the party is to let off Alva with just a reprimand since divesting her of all duties in itself is seen as a punishment to her, or just suspend her from the party symbolically, which may be revoked after the recent round of state polls get over next month.
The Congress party is also apprehensive about the step Alva may take if she is shown the door. The Janata Dal (Secular) of former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda has sent feelers to Alva to join the party and virtually become the number two leader.
Resignation: Charges of states given
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has named four senior leaders to temporarily take charge of states under Margaret Alva.
Alva was general secretary in-charge for seven states. Party treasurer Motilal Vora has been given charge of Haryana, while the DAC chairman A.K. Antony is the new in-charge for Maharashtra. Mohsina Kidwai will take care of Punjab and Chandigarh and Oscar Fernandes has been given charge of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. The seven states together account for 76 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
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