Digvijay Singh takes up cudgels for Sonia

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 29. In what is seen as a preemptive move to quell the growing dissatisfaction in the Congress(I) and to deflect criticism of Ms. Sonia Gandhi's leadership, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh, issued a statement today to say that it was wrong to blame the party president ``whenever something goes wrong''.

All important decisions were taken by the Congress(I) Working Committee (CWC) and Ms. Gandhi ``never tries to influence what the highest forum of the party thinks in its collective wisdom to be right''. Mr. Singh urged partypersons to refrain from resorting to whisper campaigns or airing their views in public. If some leaders of the Congress(I) felt that there was a need for introspection there were appropriate fora to do so, he advised.

Mr. Singh, who returned from the Netherlands last night, issued the statement after meeting Ms. Gandhi here this morning. His expression of loyalty comes at a time when factionalism among Madhya Pradesh leaders, never very far from the surface, threatens to come to the fore once more. Only a few days ago, the MP, Mr. Kamal Nath, wrote a letter to Mr. Singh criticising in strong language the State Government's decision to dispense with the services of about 50,000 daily wagers. And Mr. Arjun Singh, recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, is poised to become a key player in party politics once again.

Mr. Singh's statement would appear to be in response to the recent comments of party MP, Mr. Kapil Sibal, and the former Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr. Chhabildas Mehta. While Mr. Mehta had asked Ms. Gandhi to step down as her leadership had proved to be a failure, Mr. Sibal categorically said that no individual should be blamed for the state of the Congress(I). Rather, it was a collective responsibility, he said.

An eminent lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP, Mr. Sibal has called for an honest intra-party soul-searching on the present condition of the party. Echoing what a number of Congress(I) leaders have been saying in private, Mr. Sibal expressed concern at the drift in the party and said there was a need to take a fresh look at the decision-making process in the party at all levels; but it was wrong to blame Ms. Gandhi alone as decisions were taken collectively.

In a recent television discussion, Mr. Sibal said that as a concerned Congressman he felt it was time to take another look at the constitution of the CWC. Ms. Gandhi's choice of candidates for the Rajya Sabha came in for some criticism, though not directly. According to Mr. Sibal, people like Mr. Natwar Singh and Mr. Jairam Ramesh would have been worthy candidates as they would have made a positive contribution in the Upper House debates. As per the party convention, the Rajya Sabha nominations were decided by Ms. Gandhi and not the CWC.

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