Date:07/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/07/stories/2006050704750800.htm

National

Halt lobbying for Assam CM's post: Digvijay

Special Correspondent

Legislature party leader will be elected by MLAs, says Digvijay Singh

NEW DELHI: Taking a serious view of the intense lobbying by party leaders from Assam for the Chief Minister's post, the Congress high command on Saturday called for an immediate halt to all such activities.

With the results of the elections to the State Assembly due on May 11, the party general secretary, Digvijay Singh, said the leader would be elected by the newly constituted Congress legislature party and with the concurrence of the high command.

"The lobbying has not been liked by the Congress president. We have not projected any one. The Congress legislature party leader would be elected by the newly elected MLAs with the concurrence of the high command," Mr. Digvijay Singh, incharge of party affairs in the State, told correspondents here.

He said the party would expect that senior State leaders who have been camping here for the past few days return to the constituencies. Asked if the warning came a bit late in the day, Mr. Singh said that the party high command would not be influenced by the lobbying and would make its own assessment by sending central observers after the results were out.

Amid reports that the Congress, which is leading the Government, may get fewer seats than it did last time, senior State leaders are understood to have got into the act. Many of them are against continuing the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi.

As regards post-poll possibilities of an alliance, in case the Congress falls short of the requisite majority to form a government, Mr. Digvijay Singh said the party would have no truck with the AGP.