Hectic lobbying has begun in the national capital for gubernatorial appointments. The governor of Uttarakhand, Mrs Margaret Alva, is reportedly lobbying hard to secure a place in the AICC during the forthcoming reshuffle of the organisation. Failing this, she would like to take up the job of Kerala governor, which would bring her close to her home state of Karnataka.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Santosh Mohan Deb is believed to be running from pillar to post to get himself appointed the governor of a state. Following the death of former Rajasthan governor Prabha Rau, the post is lying vacant. The terms of Madhya Pradesh governor Rameshwar Thakur and the Goa governor, Dr S.S. Sidhu, expired a few months ago. Mr Deb is eyeing any of the three states. Sources close to him said the party high command had “promised him the job of governor”.
There has also been speculation that former Speaker Somnath Chatterjee might be “rewarded” with a governorship for his decision to defy the CPI(M) and consequent expulsion from the party. Rumours flew thick and fast when both, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, attended a function to release his book, Keeping the Faith: Memoirs of a Parliamentarian to Colleagues and Comrades. However, sources disclosed that Mr Chatterjee is not keen on a governorship job but intends to enter Rashtrapati Bhavan with the UPA’s help. President Pratibha Patil’s term expires on July 2012.
Sources said Mrs Alva is keen to focus on the political career of her son, Nivedith, which has ground to a halt, and be able to visit her ailing husband in Bengaluru from time to time.
The sources said Mrs Alva intends to begin the groundwork to field her son from Kanara Lok Sabha seat for the next elections as both her parents-in-law represented the seat in the 1950s and from where she stood and lost the 2009 parliamentary polls. Mrs Alva is also looking at neighbouring Khanapur as a potential launch-pad for Nivedith. Sources indicated that the Centre may also be looking at moving Mrs Alva to Jharkhand. The Centre had been looking at the option of shifting Jharkhand governor M.O.H. Farooq. However, Mrs Alva is not too keen take up the job in the politically turbulent state, sources said.