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Boycott threat at swearing-in
By Our Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI, DEC. 5.
In a development which threatens to mar the assumption of office by the new Delhi Cabinet and snowball into a major crisis, a large number of MLAs have decided to boycott the swearing-in ceremony, scheduled for tomorrow morning at Raj Nivas to lodge their protest against the party leadership's "failure" to accommodate the interests of various groups, including the OBCs and loyalists.
Those very MLAs who condemned the dissidents for bringing a bad name to the party are now themselves standing on the threshold of dissidence. The irony is that prominent dissident MLAs have decided to attend the ceremony at Raj Niwas and not go against the wishes of the party high command.
Although there is large-scale resentment against the induction of certain MLAs into the Sheila Dikshit Cabinet, the dissident MLAs have decided to toe the line of the party president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi. Not only this, all the four dropped Ministers -- Dr. Yoganand Shastri, Dr. Narendra Nath, Mr. Parvez Hashmi and Ms. Krishna Tirath are expected to stay away.
It is believed that the close aides of the Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, have been pressed into action to ensure that a majority of MLAs attend. In fact, all eyes are now on the ``third front MLAs'' and the crucial role they could play in the coming days. There is little doubt that those close to Ms. Dikshit have little hold over the MLAs and the Chief Minister would have to seek the help of this front to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Even the AICC general secretary, Mr. Kamal Nath, has asked the MLAs to attend the swearing-in and has warned of exception to anybody deliberately boycotting the ceremony.
Meanwhile, in a day of fast-paced developments, which could well signal the realignment of political equations within the Congress, a large number of MLAs, including those belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), went into a huddle to chalk out their strategy. It was decided that they would boycott the swearing-in, over the attitude of the high command towards the OBCs. A meeting in this regard was held at the residence of Mr. Parvez Hashmi, last night and today noon.
No doubt Mr. Hashmi was the most popular Minister among the party workers and the MLAs and his ouster has generated a lot of sympathy for him. It is believed that Mr. Hashmi is upset with the Chief Minister for having failed to protect him before 10 Janpath. But his anger is directed more at the AICC general secretary. He feels that it was Mr. Kamal Nath who ensured his ouster, and misled the party high command over his performance. Another meeting of a dozen-odd MLAs was held at the Rouse Avenue residence of Mr. Hashmi this morning and it was felt the best way to convey their resentment was to boycott the function at Raj Niwas.
It is believed that large sections are annoyed over the selection of candidates for the Cabinet and have expressed their concern through messages and representations to the high command. What has irked everybody is the over-loading of the government and the party with Punjabis ignoring the interests of many other communities and castes. It is pointed out that Mr. Subhash Chopra is the DPCC president, Dr. A.K. Walia and Mr. Ajay Maken Cabinet Ministers, Ms. Anjali Rai, Chairperson of Delhi Commission of Women, Mr. Ramakant Goswami, Parliamentary Secretary, and last but not the least, Ms. Sheila Dikshit. The question being asked it where is the party heading for with such a one-sided approach.
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