NEW DELHI: She’s done it before, when the Congress was in eclipse in the late 1990s. And today, even in the midst of all-enveloping gloom, Congress president Sonia Gandhi held out another promise of redemption. On her re-election as Congress Parliamentary Party chief, at the head of a small regiment of 44 MPs, she reiterated that she was “pained, deeply pained’’ with the results and vowed to strengthen the party once again.
“This has been a fiercely contested election. Lakhs of Congress workers have worked hard in the last few months and I am thankful to them. I am pained, and deeply pained, but we have to introspect—both individually and collectively,’’ she said, heightening the sombre atmosphere.
Just a few kilometres away, in deep contrast to the low-key CPP meeting, Raisina Hill and the power corridors were immersed in hectic preparations for the massive swearing-in of a Narendra Modi-led BJP government—3,500 guests, including those from the neighbouring nations, coming to fete the BJP’s man of moment for the massive mandate he won.
Against the backdrop of this lost mandate, she said, “It will be my endeavour to strengthen the Congress.” No one contradicted the possibility, but they hoped that she would become the Leader of the Opposition. Though some among them, like Veerappa Moily and Digvijaya Singh wanted her son Rahul Gandhi to take up such a post “for nurturing of future leadership”.
However, sources said, it was unlikely. One of the few Cabinet Ministers to have won this elections, K V Thomas said, “Indications are that she’ll take up the post.” Rahul, who came with his mother but sat with other MPs, it seems, is sticking to his old text, “is reluctant’’ and former Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath’s name “is also in the circulation’’.
On the Rajya Sabha front where the party is a little better placed, sources said the Leader of Opposition post was first offered to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but he declined. Nothing of it was placed before the CPP meeting though.
As the CPP leader, Sonia has been authorised to pick the leader, it could either be Ghulam Nabi Azad or A K Antony both veterans of the Upper House. For the rest, the CPP served as platform of reiteration that Sonia and Rahul had led “indefatigable election campaign across the country”; and Manmohan Singh has rendered “yeoman services to the country” by providing a “sober and dignified” leadership for a decade.