The first AICC meeting after the UPA’s triumphal return to power in last year’s general election is being held at the Talkatora Stadium here on Tuesday in the shadow of corruption scandals related to the Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, and earlier ones involving the recent Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and the 2G spectrum scam.
While the Congress high command is delaying taking a decision on Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan’s “offer of resignation” over the Adarsh scam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is finding it difficult to change the portfolio of communications and information technology minister A. Raja in the backdrop of alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum issue.
Mr Chavan, who was reputed to derive his political strength from a section of the central Congress leadership and not from the grassroots in Maharashtra, appears to have opened up battles on several fronts. His attempts to drag in over a dozen senior Congress and NCP leaders, including Union ministers Sushil-kumar Shinde and Vilasrao Deshmukh, in the Adarsh controversy could well lead to his isolation in the state. Congress sources feel that things have come to such a pass that even if the high command allows him to continue in his post, he will no longer be able to effectively run the government in Maharashtra.
They say that despite being in government for several years and chief minister for the past 18 months, Mr Chavan still lacks the stature of a state leader and does not command support even in his home region of Marathawada.
A PCC office-bearer pointed out that Mr Chavan is perhaps the only chief minister of Maharashtra who has remained inaccessible to party functionaries.
Mr Chavan, who returned to Mumbai on Monday morning after spending two days in New Delhi fighting hard to save his job, resumed office and started attending meetings. Sources in Mumbai said he would return to the national capital only if summoned by the Congress high command.
The main agenda for Tuesday’s AICC meeting is scheduled to be holding of elections to the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body. It is not certain though if an election will actually take place.
It will also be interesting to see if the party’s top brass will make the Congress’ stand on the corruption issue clear, either in speeches or in a resolution on the “current political situation”.
The 1,000-odd AICC members constitute the electoral college for the CWC polls. Of the entire CWC, there is a provision for the election of 12 members and nomination of 11 others. The Congress president and two parliamentary party leaders are also CWC members, with the party chief heading the body.
The Congress came to power at the Centre in 2004 on two main issues — corruption and the BJP’s India Shining campaign. But these issues and the mindset are still relevant even after six years, party insiders say privately.
The AICC meeting is being held the week before the Winter Session of Parliament, where the Opposition will almost certainly try to put the government in the dock on corruption matters. “It will be a tough session,” a top government manager admitted.
While the UPA government is on the defensive over alleged irregularities related to the 2G spectrum scam as the DMK’s A. Raja is in charge of the communications portfolio, the Adarsh housing scam in Mumbai has badly dented the Congress’ image across the country.
In the CWG mess, several government agencies have already started inquiries into the financial transactions, while the Prime Minister has constituted a high-level committee to investigate matters under the leadership of former CAG V.K. Shunglu.
The AICC meeting at the Talkatora Stadium is also the first one after Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s recent re-election as party president for a record fourth time.
While it is the first AICC meeting in the party’s 125th anniversary year, the mood is far from celebratory due to the series of scams. The Opposition has been systematically targeting party MP Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the Games organising committee, as well as some Union ministers allegedly involved in corruption related to the organisation of the Games.
No senior leader is willing to talk much about the meeting, which the Congress had earlier said would deal with the current political situation.
A Congress plenary is, meanwhile, being planned before the third week of December, and the venue is likely to be either Jaipur or New Delhi.