Sonia Congress panics, anguish & worries about poor poll mngmt in poll-bound states amid Modi’s fast-growing stature have prompted Sonia Intervention. She met key election managers, leaders from these states and pulled them up, asking to get their act together. Leadership had realised there were serious issues about candidate selection, political management, coordination, campaign and crowd mobilisation. Some key strategists feared things had been “messed up” by people given crucial responsibilities despite “inadequate experience” in poll management. Feedback about mismanagement had rattled party central leadership, which has high expectations from MP, Chhattisgarh irrespective of pollsters’ predictions. Source of alarm was extent of unrest triggered by ticket distribution in MP. Another was lack of coordination in Chhattisgarh Campaign, where even 1% swing can change electoral fortunes. So anguished was Sonia at a ticket aspirant’s suicide in MP that she summoned all Sr leaders from the state for an emergency meeting in Delhi. Leaders including Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath, Ajay Singh, Kantilal Bhuria, Suresh Pachauri and the general secretary in charge of the state, Mohan Prakash, reached Delhi to discuss what a source described as “disturbing developments”. Apart from the suicide by Narsingh Malviya, who had expected to be fielded from Agar, the extent of the rot was reflected in the fact that seven candidates had to be replaced after making it to the first list. A few days ago, six MPs from the state violently quarrelled with screening committee chairperson Madhusudan Mistry over selective application of the official criteria for ticket distribution. Both Prakash and Mistry, whose phenomenal rise under Rahul Gandhi’s stewardship has unnerved entrenched forces, came under criticism at the meeting. Most Sr leaders are said to be angry at the duo for short-listing candidates without consulting them. Some party lobbies felt the aspirations of ticket seekers in MP could have been handled better. Prakash had played a key role in candidate selection in UP as screening committee chairperson, but Congress had been routed in the state. Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, who was not directly involved in process so far, now been asked to oversee the political management in the poll-bound states. There are issues relating to Rahul’s rallies too. While brevity of his speeches has disappointed organisers, Rahul himself is upset about poor crowds. Apart from his rallies in Poll-bound states, which have been compared unfavourably with Modi’s, his meetings in UP been a cause for concern. Party leaders, Union ministers and Lok Sabha members from UP, general secretary in charge of the state, Mistry, told to concentrate on mobilising crowds if they want to continue these rallies. A meeting has been called tomorrow to discuss the subject of crowds. Although party leaders do not openly concede that they are worried at huge crowds at Modi’s rallies, they admit in private that drawing such large numbers of people is not easy. Many Srr leaders now accept off record that Modi’s appeal has been growing outside Gujarat in a way they had not anticipated. UP crucial to next year’s general election, is key issue apart from Poll-bound states, hence the focus on ensuring big crowds. Rahul is expected to address 4 public meetings in UP in November.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 06:16:16 +0000
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