NEW DELHI, May 7: The Inder Kumar Gujral government got a shot in the arm on Wednesday with Congress president Sitaram Kesri declaring at the parliamentary party meeting (CPP) that the United Front dispensation would be stable.

Kesri's certificate came handy for Gujral who appeared a little shaken following the opposition outcry against his first major appointment that of Bhabani Sengupta as OSD in the Prime Minister Office (PMO). Sengupta later submitted his resignation.

The Congress president told his party MPs that the United Front government under Gujral was consulting his party on major issues and that there was close co-ordination. The "anti-Congressism" of the previous Gowda government had also ended, Kesri said, amid applause.

Kesri thanked his party MPs for showing unity on the occasion of the confidence vote on April 11 and hinted that the unity was the party's strength at all crucial times.

Kesri's laudatory remarks for his party colleagues led to speculation in party circles that he was out to woo members on the eve of the election of the Congress president slated for some time next month. Kesri is the candidate for the party presidentship, although former Maharashtra chief minister Abdul Rehman Antulay had declared that he too would contest.

Antulay, who was present at the CPP meeting, wanted to speak. He was, however, disallowed on the plea that the first general body meeting of CPP in course of the parliament session was addressed only by the CPP leader as a matter of convention.

Antulay held a separate meeting with Kesri for about an hour after the CPP meeting, sources said.

Antulay wanted to bring to the CPP leader's notice certain anomalies in the CPP constitution, sources said.

He was keen to point out these before the general body meeting of party MPs. Having failed in the mission, Antulay is now expected to rake up party issues in different fora, sources said.

Briefing reporters, party spokesman VN Gadgil said the ten-member parliamentary coordination committee was yet to be formed although the exercise was still on. He hinted that it may take some time.

The decision about setting up the co-ordination committee was taken by both the United Front and the Congress after president Shanker Dayal Sharma insisted on evolving a mechanism to ensure stability of the government.

Indeed, both the Front and the Congress gave the president in writing that they would evolve a co-ordination committee to avoid friction.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.