May 15: Sonia Gandhi's invitation to four senior Congress leaders, including known Virbhadra Singh rivals like former minister Ram Lal Thakur, to attend the Congress Working Committee meeting, has come as a big jolt to the former chief minister, who is fighting a grim battle to ``retain'' the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and also win four other assembly polls slated for June 3.Virbhadra Singh, who is busy campaigning for the past two weeks in favour of his wife Pratibha Singh, Congress candidate for Mandi, is already at the receiving end from Central leaders for his inability to bring the party to power. And with dissidents having managed to make their presence felt in Delhi circles, the former CM seems to be in for new trouble.
Party insiders say:``Unless things remain favourable for the Congress in the ensuing polls, the possibility of leadership changes in the state are quite imminent.'' But Virbhadra Singh loyalists see a deep-rooted conspiracy in sidelining the him.Much, however, will depend on the outcome of the polls.Initial reports from the election fields are not very encouraging for the Congress in general. During the past more than four years, Virbhadra Singh had the final say in all party matters and even his worst critics, many belonging to erstwhile Sukh Ram camp, were compelled to fall in line with him. The tables seem to have turned now. It seems that outside the Congress, it is Sukh Ram who is determined to finish him politically, while forces from within the Congress, working against him, seem equally serious.
Those who have been invited to the extended CWC meeting besides Ram Lal Thakur, include former speaker Vidya Stokes, former PCC president Sat Mahajan and Anand Sharma, earlier AICC spokesman. Thakur, when contacted in Delhi said he had got an invitation just two days back and the agenda was to discuss the situation rising out of the Pokharan nuclear tests and also steps to strengthen in the party in the state.
As expected, except Virbhadra Singh and PCC president, all other invitees have already reached Delhi. Virbhadra Singh as per the tour schedule, is in Spiti and is scheduled to reach Rampur on Sunday for further campaigning.Sonia Gandhi, who has started the process for revamping of the PCCs, had already sent two panels to Shimla to study the party affairs and recommend steps for strengthening the party. Moti Lal Vohra, who led the first panel, had already submitted its report recommending structural changes in the PCC and later AICC general secretary R. K. Dhawan, who made a visit as part of an AICC plan to gear up the party machinery for the elections, had also briefed Sonia Gandhi.
There had also been hectic lobbying within the Congress for the post of PCC president as Sant Ram, a staunch Virbhadra Singh loyalist, is already on way out. New names being mentioned are former PCC president, Sat Mahajan, Chandresh Kumari, Rajya Sabha MP and Chander Kumar. However, the high command and also a section of partymen, want that the new PCC president should not be a puppet in the hands of Virbhadra Singh.It is felt that if changes are undertaken, former CM Ram Lal Thakur stands a fair chance.The replacement in the PCC and CLP, Central leadership feel, would pave a way for reaching at a rapprochement with Sukh Ram, who had already indicated his return to the Congress fold if Virbhadra Singh is replaced. This would also help in toppling the BJP government, when Sukh Ram opts to withdraw support. Sukh Ram, his associates admit, is ready to support the Congress minus Virbhadra Singh.
