NEW DELHI, March 31: Congress President Sonia Gandhi today took two significant steps towards rebuilding the party: First of all, she practically invited Tamil Maanila Congress chief G K Moopanar and his colleagues to rejoin the Congress. She then attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government for its ``duplicity''-- her first such criticism --thus giving some shape to the party's political line.On the crucial issue of a possible merger between the Congress and the TMC, Sonia gave the first hint on what could happen. ``I have to say that Moopanar and his colleagues have been our friends. They have always been a part of the Congress family. They are still our friends. What is wrong if they come back,'' she told mediapersons in Parliament.
Sonia was there to address the CPP general body meeting, in which she outlined the party'spolitical stance, and then stayed on for over two hours meeting party MPs. By 5.15 pm, around 65 people, including MPs, had met her and she is slated to meet more MPs and otherleaders thrice a week in Parliament when the session is on.
The Cong-TMC merger issue was raised by Moopanar who announced his decision to quit his party's presidency yesterday adding he would consider an invitation from the Congress high command to return where he began his political career. However, a fair distance still needs to be covered before anything concrete can emerge on this issue.
Firstly, the TMC executive has to agree to Moopanar's decision and then take a view on the merger question. Secondly, the Congress Working Committee has to take a line on the matter as Sonia indicated today. She felt this was an important issue on which the CWC had to take a decision. ``The CWC will take a decision at the appropriate time,'' she added. But since the current CWC will fall in line with anything Sonia says, she will decide the issue apparently after the April 6 AICC session.
Should the merger take place, it will beef up the Congress at a time when it desperately needs a boost especially in Tamil Nadu.The current TNCC chief K V Thangkabalu is all for it as he declared in Chennai that he welcomed Moopanar's call for unity and that he would abide by Sonia's decision in the matter.
Even a ``working arrangement'' between the Congress and the TMC will go some way to relieve an anxious Congress in Tamil Nadu. However, Sonia will need to initiate similar steps to woo other rebel leaders like Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamul Congress if the Congress has to regain its clout.
Some of this was elaborated upon by Sonia in her address to the CPP in which she tried to take on a stateswoman-like stance. ``We have pledged our party's constructive cooperation in the affairs of Parliament and governance. We also heard the prime minister speak of his commitment to creating an atmosphere of cooperation. Yet, at the first opportunity, the ruling party abandoned its promise in order to cement its own short-term interests. The manner in which the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker was conducted does the new government nocredit nor does its conduct during the confidence motion. This has been a valuable lesson in the kind of politics we can expect from the ruling coalition,'' she read out.
At the same time, she also called for a positive approach to the Government.
This sort of sends a mixed signal to party leaders but Sonia has been taking the centrist path ever since she became party president. She talked of her ``colleagues'' who have held ``responsible positions and are able to confront the ruling coalition head-on''.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
