NEW DELHI, May 21: Ignoring Cacophonous noises being made by his detractors, Congress president Sitaram Kesri appears to have decided to resort to the time-tested policy of divide and rule.

Even as former Andhra Pradesh PCC chief V Hanumantha Rao announced his decision to resort to a hunger strike at the AICC headquarters tomorrow to protest against ``bogus organisational elections'', Kerala MP and AICC joint secretary Ramesh Cheninthala today launched a counter offensive against the dissident Kerala leader K Karunakaran for resorting to intimidation and blackmail to subvert the democratic process.

Cheninthala asked Kesri to intervene and foil ``machinations of individuals who have predetermined agendas which are detrimental to the best interests of the party.''

The Kesri camp appeared more belligerent today following indications from 10 Jan Path that Sonia Gandhi is in no mood to intervene in favour of the dissidents. Kesri himself had called on Sonia two days back and briefed her about the problems being created by a section of disgruntled Congressmen.

Kesri's eulogisation of Sonia at a meeting organised by the All India Youth Congress Committee in New Delhi to mark Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary formed part of the pattern. Sonia's membership of the party had ``brought us respect and the party would continue to move forward with her presence,'' Kesri said.

The Kesri camp dismissed reports that Sonia had stressed on inclusion of some Congress leaders in the new set up Kesri proposes to have but hastened to add that she was being kept informed of developments in the party on a regular basis. Apart from Hanumantha Rao's threatened hunger strike, reports from Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar brought disquieting tidings for the party high command.

While Rao accused Kesri of not paying heed to senior state leaders but going solely by the advice of former chief minister K Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, a group of Congress workers from Agra, Bijnore and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh staged a noisy demonstration in front of the AICC headquarters today demanding removal of the UP PCC chief Jitendra Prasada.

Three Congress leaders in Etawah (UP) resigned from the party to protest against the unopposed election of former Union minister Balram Singh Yadav's son Ajay Yadav as the president of the district unit.

On the Kerala row where supporters of Karunakaran are agitated over the appointment of the block returning officers and burnt an effigy of the Pradesh Returning Officer V Kishore Chandra Deo, the AICC is still grappling with the problem. AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes has indicated that the row will be resolved by tomorrow.

Deo called on Kesri and briefed him about ugly scenes created by Karunakaran supporters. The followers of Karunakaran's rival A K Antony have charged the Karunakaran faction with attempting to stall the election process beginning tomorrow deliberately.

Meanwhile, the Congress today released a revised schedule fixing the date for election of party president on June 9. The result will be declared three days later.

As per the notification of the election released here today by the party, elections to the PCC president's office bearers, executive, Pradesh Election Committee and AICC memebrs will also be held on June 9.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.