Cong revamping widens cracks!

Attempt by senior Congress leaders to revamp the party at the local level appears to have further widened the cracks with the rank and file divided into two camps.

Attempt by senior Congress leaders to revamp the party at the local level appears to have further widened the cracks with the rank and file divided into two camps.

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What has added more to the already prevailing discontent is the negative mood of the minorities.

During the past 20 years not a single leader from the minority community of the city could find a place in the AICC, the highest forum of the party, says Javed Urfi UPCC secretary. All this despite the fact that the party had all along been boasting of espousing the cause of the minorities.

During the last AICC session it was decided to give 20 per cent representation to the minorities in this body. Though a few minority members were taken from the State but the city was left behind for reasons best known to those who matter in the decision making, he said.

Politically the city had been very sensitive.

It has made and marred governments and has played an important role in the balance of power. Under these conditions pushing the minorities to a corner does not augur well for the party, he pointed out.

Then there's the Brahmin factor which has further weakened the party at the local level, says a PCC member who dosen't wish to be named. Congress had earlier been branded as the party of Brahmins in the seventies and eighties. This was also pointed out as one of the many causes of its downfall. It appears that the party has taken no lessons from the past mistakes. The DCC is again dominated by Brahmins. A little act of balancing has been done by putting a Kayastha on the post of City Congress president but Chowdhary Jitendra Nath Singh is too busy a man. He is also running the show of Asia's biggest trust--KP Trust-- as its president. The party has also decided to field him as the next Mayoral candidate. Then there's another Brahmin as the senior vice- president.

It remains to be seen what type of representation will be there after the committee is formed, he says.

Hostility between Bajpai and Bahuguna groups within the party at the local level is well known.

But as things turned out to be it was the Bajpai group which has stolen the show.

Sources said a balancing act has been done by assigning a more important role for Rita Bahuguna Joshi who has been made incharge of Faizabad and Lucknow divisions.

However, some of her her supporters hold a different view. In case they are correct the type of responsibility entrusted to her is only given to a person who is a confidante of the Nehru-Gandhi family because she will also be looking after the affairs of Amethi.

Though she could not be contacted but she is understood to have expressed her satisfaction to what has been given to her. On the issue of Shekhar Bahuguna being made as DCC president she is reported to have remarked: 'Jo aadmi PCC mein baitha ho wo zile mein kyon aayega'.

She also denied that there was any groupism in the party.