US EDITION
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Congress threatens action against Pawar supporters

Expelled Congress leader Sharad Pawar has decided to hold a national convention of his proposed party in Bombay by June 10 even as the All India Congress Committee has indicated that disciplinary action might be taken against those supporting the rebel leaders.

The ideology of the proposed party would be similar to that of the Congress with a vision of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

The thrust would be on late Indira Gandhi's social justice programmes and late Rajiv Gandhi's vision of the twenty-first century, Pawar told the media after a brain-storming session of the rebel Congressmen in Maharashtra. The meeting was held at the residence of the leader of the opposition in the state legislative council, Chaggan Bhujbal.

The new party's constitution, policies and programmes would be announced at the convention, after detailed discussions with his supporters and former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A Sangma and Tariq Anwar.

AICC general secretary Madhavrao Scindia, who is in charge of Maharashtra, airdashed to Bombay yesterday to avert a vertical split in the state party unit.

He held a series of meetings with state leaders and former chief ministers and said that those supporting the Pawar group might face disciplinary action. ''Those (rebel Congressmen) behaving in this political fashion (supporting Pawar's group) will leave themselves open for disciplinary action by the party high command,'' he said.

He said he would have detailed discussions with Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prataprao Bhosale in this regard.

''Ninety-five per cent of the Congress workers are with us. Similarly, a host of former members of Parliament, members of legislative assembly and members of legislative council are with us... There is nothing to worry about,'' he said. ''We do not want to waste any more time in discussing the Pawar issue... The Congress has a strong organisation and it will easily sail through,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Republican Party of India president Ramdas Athavale has said that his party was yet to decide whether it should enter into an electoral alliance with the Congress or the new outfit being floated by Pawar.

Addressing the media, he said both sides had sent feelers to his party for an alliance for the coming Lok Sabha poll but a final decision on the issue would be taken at the national executive meeting of the party on June 12.

He refused to comment on Pawar's expulsion from the Congress.

He said the RPI would cooperate with those who could "ensure the defeat of the communal Bharatiya Janata Party in the polls''.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report