Insiders Outsiders

Sonia's presumed political ethic is not shared even by her lieutenants. Each one of them is locked in unsavoury hierarchy squabbles. Nothing establishes this better than the way Sheila Dikshit's wings were clipped last week. The Delhi CM, much feted as a 'performing asset' during the party's bad days, had the mortification of seeing her biggest detractor, Prem Singh, elevated as assembly speaker. Dikshit's name was dropped from the recently reconstituted CWC too. For the record, Dikshit has been making all the right noises. "We are happy with the nomination. Prem Singh has been the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president before, so there is no problem," Dikshit said at Singh's swearing-in. But sources close to the CM reveal she is fully aware of the moves to undermine her and is just "biding her time" before bouncing back.

Despite her confidence, signals emanating from the AICC do not augur well for Dikshit—newly appointed general secretary Ashok Gehlot has been given additional charge of Delhi along with various frontal organisations. Gehlot is seen to be too close to Dikshit's bete noire and all-powerful general secretary Ambika Soni and his handling of Delhi is clearly not going to add to Dikshit's comfort.

Gehlot, however, refuses to comment on the matter while party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi tries to dispel "misconceptions" about the changes in the AICC. "You shouldn't believe all rumours that every new development in the party evokes. The reshuffle is a creative mix of the old and the new while harmonising the pulls and pressures of regional considerations, competence, talent and caste factors. Nobody is putting anybody down," says Singhvi.

Party sources say Dikshit's problems stem from the fact that she is aligned with the old guard—Arjun, Natwar et al—who are allergic to the coterie headed by Ambika Soni and Ahmed Patel. During the recent Lok Sabha polls, Dikshit had fought and won a bitter battle with Ambika and Ahmed over ticket distribution. The time seems to have now come for retribution. So, while leaders like Arjun Singh, who fought Sonia's proxy battle with P.V. Narasimha Rao before she joined active politics, have a secure political space in the party hierarchy, Dikshit is now seen to be struggling to retain her hold.

Dikshit's colleague from Delhi, lawyer Kapil Sibal, is yet another casualty in this battle between the coterie and the outsiders. Sibal was not only denied a senior place in the cabinet, but has been assigned the relatively insignificant portfolio of science and technology and ocean development. His presence in Parliament is barely felt and he has no role to play in the party's new organisational structure. Sibal, however, seems eager to dispel any impression about having lost out. "Why should anyone undermine the significance of what I have been assigned? It is a department where a lot of creative energy can be channelised. The results of what I am trying to achieve will be there for everyone to see. I am involved with my work and I have no time for such politicking," Sibal says.But those close to him admit Sibal is disappointed at being sidelined after he had handled the media so effectively in the run-up to the election.

The next in the line of fire is old family loyalist Mani Shankar Aiyer who is in danger of losing his portfolio to Satish Sharma while Raghuvansh Prasad Singh of the Rashtriya Janata Dal is eyeing the panchayati raj portfolio that Mani now has additional charge of.

The only person who has been able to work his way up is former MP chief minister Digvijay Singh. His defeat in the last year's assembly elections was partly due to sabotage by his own partymen. He seemed to have no friends in Delhi except Sonia who backed him right through the polls. Digvijay has resurfaced as an AICC general secretary in charge of Assam, Orissa and AP. True to his new role, Digvijay denies there is a 'coterie' or that talented leaders have suffered for not being part of it. "Internal struggles go on in any political party. Isn't it happening in the BJP? I think the Congress has been given a new vision and there is a right mix of experience and talent to implement it. I don't understand this bit about coteries. All of us have grown together in the party. I've a long association with Ambikaji and others. Why should that be construed as anything but camaraderie?" he says.

However, recent developments in the Congress—the selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha, the distribution of ministerial portfolios and placements after the party reshuffle—have proved that favourites with the Ambika-Ahmed duo have got the lion's share. In the list of eight new general secretaries, as many as five appointments—Ambika herself, Ashok Gehlot, Salman Khursheed, Mukul Wasnik and now even Digvijay Singh—are part of what is being described in Congress circles as 'top favourites'.

The party's latest poster boy, Jairam Ramesh, has been accommodated in the all-powerful National Advisory Council, plus being nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh. At the same time, Margaret Alva not only lost out on becoming the deputy chairperson of the Upper House but was even denied a Rajya Sabha renomination. Ambika favourite Vayalar Ravi was being projected for the post till the BJP objected to his candidature on the grounds that he took 'extreme positions' in the House. The final choice then became K. Rahman Khan, former minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers, after parliamentary affairs minister Ghulam Nabi Azad held a series of meetings with the BJP leaders to evolve a consensus on his candidature.

Such serious infighting only means that Sonia may not find it easy to revive the party. With her top-rung leaders divided into two camps, any chance that the party had to build on its electoral success is being squandered. And the Congress is back to its coterie culture which has been its undoing in the past.