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Goa Youth Congress switches back to Sonia

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panjim

In a sudden volte-face, Goa Pradesh Youth Congress president Vishnu Wagh today declared his support to party chief Sonia Gandhi, stating that his demand to revoke the expulsion of rebels Sharad Pawar, Purno Sangma and Tariq Anwar was "misinterpreted".

Ramesh Chennithala, emissary of the panic-stricken high command, today called Wagh and instructed him to issue a press release saying his demand was "only a suggestion in the interests of party unity".

He was also made to talk to Congress general secretary Madhavrao Scindia in Delhi.

The GPYC had yesterday adopted a resolution describing the Congress Working Committee's decision to expel the three politicians as "arbitrary" and one that would damage the party's image.

Demanding a debate within the party on the issue of president Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, the resolution had also stated that there should be no place for sycophancy and image worship in a democratic institution like the Congress.

Publication of the resolution had evoked mixed reactions in Congress circles with one section demanding that Wagh and his group be expelled. But the central observer finally decided to adopt the strategy of hushing up the matter rather than going on the offensive as that could affect the party's prospects in the state assembly election early next month.

"I am convinced that his intention in passing such a resolution was not to cause damage to the party, but to maintain unity," said Chennithala. He also claimed that there was no confusion in the state unit on the issue of the expulsions. "All are unitedly working to win the election on June 4," he said.

Wagh said in his press note that he would remain loyal to the party and not try to create any division or confusion within the Youth Congress. He also promised that the Youth Congress would work unitedly for the victory of all the Congress candidates.

In a damage control measure, All-India Youth Congress president Manoj Tiwari and general secretary Zuber Khan are flying to Goa to attend the GPYC state executive meeting on Saturday. Gandhi is visiting the state to address two election rallies on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Luizinho Faleiro, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, claimed that he too had sent his resignation to the high command as a show of support to Gandhi. "But it was not released to the media on the advice of the high command's observers here to avoid confusion among the people in the midst of the election campaign," he said.

But the Bharatiya Janata Party appears to have decided to fully exploit the divide in the Congress to divert the confused voters. "Will the people know whether they are voting for the Sonia Congress or the Pawar Congress," asked Manohar Parrikar, the party's spokesman.

Almost all the Opposition parties in the state have geared up to exploit the situation while the Congress struggles to project an image of unity.

Wagh's volte-face on the expulsions is believed to be an attempt in this direction. Whether such attempts to paper over the cracks will succeed is another matter.

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