Difficult days ahead for Solanki

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR, JUNE 29. The former All India Congress(I) Committee general secretary and External Affairs Minister, Mr. Madhavsinh Solanki, one of the top party leaders from Gujarat, may have burnt his fingers by organising a convention of his supporters in Gandhinagar in defiance of both the State and the Central party leadership.

Though the veteran leader was successful in demonstrating that he still commanded a sizable following among the Congress(I) men in the State, the unrestrained speeches by most of his close confidants at the convention made almost every other leader of the party in the State his enemy.

Not only was the AICC(I) treasurer, Mr. Ahmed Patel, the pradesh Congress(I) president, Mr C. D. Patel, the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, Mr. Amarsinh Chaudhary, and several of their supporters came on the direct firing line, his confidants did not even spare the former Rashtriya Janata Party supremo, Mr. Shankarsinh Waghela, and the entire erstwhile Janata Dal (Gujarat) group and other smaller factions in the State party.

The convention ensured that except for a handful of his close supporters, Mr. Solanki would not have a single sympathiser in the party in the State should the party high command choose to take disciplinary action against him or any other member of his group.

Besides ignoring the advice of the AICC(I) secretary in-charge of Gujarat affairs, Ms. Prabha Rao, not to hold the convention at this stage till the high command sorted out the differences between the various factions, Mr. Solanki also made a veiled criticism of the national president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, calling her ``inexperienced'' in politics. He was, however, quick to add that she was a ``fast learner'' and the best bet for the party ``in the absence of any other capable leader to lead the party in the present difficult situation.''

The three-hour long proceedings of the convention apparently defeated its declared motive of ``exposing'' the ``misrules'' of the BJP Government at the Centre and in the State. But, except for Mr. Solanki's restrained address, it turned out to be a platform for mud-slinging on their own party leaders, creating deep divisions within the party which would be difficult to bridge in the near future.

The speakers even went to the extent of calling Mr. C. D. Patel and Mr. Chaudhary the ``agents of the BJP,'' Mr. Ahmed Patel, a ``self-styled leader having no following,'' the erstwhile Janata Dal (Gujarat) group ``an indisciplined lot indulging in pressure tactics'' and Mr. Waghela, a ``spent force having no utility for the party.'' The alleged ``BJP misrule'' was lost in the din and surprisingly Mr. Solanki made no attempt to check his supporters digressing from the declared objective of the convention.

The performance of the Congress(I) in the State ever since Mr. C. D. Patel took over the presidentship a couple of years ago had come under severe criticism and the high command was known to be on the look out for a suitable replacement even ahead of the organisational elections scheduled later this year. Mr Solanki himself was one of the most favoured choice for the post and was sounded several times by Mr. Ahmed Patel and other leaders in the high command to take over the reins from Mr C. D. Patel.

Mr. Solanki was unwilling to accept the responsibility himself but was keen that some of his close confidants, particularly the former Lok Sabha member, Mr Bhairondan Gadhavi, be nominated the party president. But after Tuesday's convention, it is highly unlikely that the party leadership will agree to replace Mr. C. D. Patel with anyone from the Solanki faction because of the tremendous unpopularity it had earned from all other sections of the party.

A change of leadership before the organisational elections seems to be ruled out, but even at the time of elections, it would be difficult for the Solanki faction to win support from other leaders to capture the presidential post unless the high command intervened and patched up the differences between the warring factions.

Considering the deep sense of distrust the convention created among the party leadership, the apparently highly successful gathering of his supporters may have actually spelt doom for the veteran leader. Even if the high command accepted his contention that only a Kshatriya leader would be able to deliver the goods for the party in the present situation, it may opt for the relatively new comer, Mr. Shankarsinh Waghela for the post instead of Mr Solanki or any of his close supporters. Though it may not be the end of the road for Mr Solanki, yet he is certain to face difficult days in the near future.

Besides the unbridled statements, what had also shocked many Congress(I) men was the timing of the convention, when the rival BJP was busy shielding skeletons in its own cupboard and the grass-root level elections for all the municipal corporations and the district taluka panchayats in the State round the corner.

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