Monday, Aug 18, 2003
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By Mahesh Vijapurkar
N.K.P. Salve
The party, to be called the Vidarbha Rajya Nirman Congress (VRNC), will be launched on September 2. This comes close on the heels of the Congress seeking to control the ambitions of its party workers in Telangana for a separate state. Some leaders considered the Congress, the "parent party", but the mood at the venue was combative — let us get on with the statehood demand. During the next polls, the votaries would not mind aligning with parties with similar interests and even "expose those who oppose statehood". The Vidarbha Congress would seek to attract "Congressmen" who would have otherwise been satisfied if the Congress high command had conceded the formation of a regional committee within the framework of the AICC but independent of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. 
Vasant Sathe
The first States Reorganisation Commission reported way back in 1955 that a Vidarbha state was viable and recommended it without suggesting its merger into a uni-lingual Maharashtra. The region has a deep, distinct consciousness and several assurances were given before it was merged with Maharashtra. The pre-condition of equitable development of the region, on a par with other regions, though assured, is still elusive. The grievance is that Vidarbha is overshadowed by western Maharashtra. The first announcement came from Mr. Sathe, who is convalescing in Gurgaon, Haryana where he announced the "parting of ways" with the Congress because of the "lack of response to a vital issue that most Congressmen believed would alone help the region to develop and prosper". He could not attend the meeting but emerged as a key person, along with Banwarilal Purohit, newspaper baron and former MP. The task of formalising a new party has been assigned to them. Though the mandate for forming the party was given by a unanimous resolution, several speakers pointed out that none of the leaders on the statehood platform should use it as a "ladder for personal gain" and the opinion was that each of the Congressman who comes to this new forum should quit the Congress. And till statehood was achieved, none of them should look at any doors kept ajar. The party high command had "humiliated" them and every time "they turned down our demands". Interestingly, none of the Congressmen who hold positions in the party or the Maharashtra Government was present at the event today. The idea of a regional party within the Congress has been floating for a long time and as recently as November 25, 2002, Congressmen of the region had made new demands for quick decisions by the high command but when letters were written to the party president, Sonia Gandhi, "not even an acknowledgment, leave alone a reply" was received. The leaders met Ms. Gandhi in late July after writing a letter on July 11 but "we were told that we should wait. How long can we wait?" they said.
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