Rahul Gandhi’s absence Baffles all ……..

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Rahul Gandhi’s absence Baffles all ……..

 Goes Abroad again 

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 24

Rahul Gandhi's continued absence in parliament since November 18 when the Winter session began, has left everyone baffled. Most likely, he will not show up in Lok Sabha tomorrow as well.

If sources are to be believed, Rahul Gandhi has left for an unknown destination abroad on Friday night. No one has a clue of when he will come back so far.

He stay put at his 12 Tughlaq Lane residence throughout the past week and did not mingle with the party leaders. He did not participate in any of the meetings called by Interim party president Sonia Gandhi relating to Maharashtra either. Though some media reports attributed him saying he was against any tie up with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. But his Man-Friday and party general secretary K C Venugopal and political “Guru” A K Antony gave the go-ahead for such a tie up at the CWC meeting.

The party leaders say in private that Rahul Gandhi is not responding to mobile calls & SMS messages too. In fact, Sonia Gandhi has been left alone to fight a tough battle all alone with Rahul Gandhi completely distancing from political developments.

Sources say that he is very dejected and feeling disappointed that things did not move the way he wanted in the party and leaders did not follow him. It was largely because of this very reason that he pushed off to Brazil on a private visit after coming back from Cambodia. He returned to Delhi on November 15 (Friday) and left the country again on November 22.

Rahul Gandhi did  not go to Shakti Sthal, where tributes were being paid on the birth anniversary of late Indira Gandhi on November 19. He did not step out even to go to Parliament to the Central Hall where floral tributes were paid by all top leaders of all political parties.

As many as 10 questions were listed against the name of Wayanad MP last week alone. But he did not show up to ask questions listed against his name. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla noticed Rahul Gandhi's absence and said he had wanted to give him the chance to raise his question.

Rahul Gandhi is serving his fourth term as a Lok Sabha MP.

Ends

1+4 formula to end Congress crisis

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

1+4 formula to end Congress crisis

Four vice presidents under one Interim president 

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, July 12

Amidst contuning crisis in Karnataka, a formula is underway to resolve the vacuum in the 150 year grand old party. If reports are to be believed, final touches are being given to the “one plus four formula”

to end 50-day old crisis which began with the sudden resignation of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

After a series of deliberations within the Gandhi family members involving Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi and family loyalists like A K Antony, Dr Manmohan Singh and a couple of others, the 1+4 formula is finding favour.

This formula is that an interim president be appointed by the Congress working committee (CWC) until the organisational elections are completed as per the constitution of the party. It is now clear that the CWC meeting will be called sometime next week as the formula has taken a shape and nitty-gritty is being fixed. The CWC is the party's top decision making body and empowered to take all the decisions in the current crisis-ridden situation. The CWC may be held at the instance of Motilal Vora, senior-most general secretary of the party or Mukul Wasnik, who is currently general secretary (organisation).

With UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi firmly refusing to lead the party as interim president and Priyanka Gandhi is also being ruled out, Mallikarjun Kharge's name is finding favour. Since A K Antony firmly refused to don the mantle and Sushil Kumar Shinde has lagged behind, its Kharge who has emerged stronger given the situation. .

Once Kharge's name is decided, there will be four Vice Presidents under him representing four regions- East, West, North & South. This is what Rahul Gandhi is reported to have tossed the idea before his confidants when he met them last week.

One of the Vice presidents could be Priyanka Vadra (North), Gaurav Gogoi (North East), Mukul Wasnik (West) or Jyotiraditya Scindia and K C Venugopal (South). Venugopal was incharge of Kerala and Tamil Nadu during the Lok sabha polls and came out with flying colours.

There was also a suggestion that Capt. Amrinder Singh be brought in as Interim president. But he is disinclined due to poor health and quitting the CM's post at this juncture. Though there are many in the party who believe that his acceptability is larger at this juncture and he would be able to give a fitting reply to the BJP too. In the event of Priyanka Gandhi opting out, the name of Selja is doing the rounds.