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Ahluwalia's outburst signals interest in BJP

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Senior Congress leader S S Ahluwalia's outburst yesterday against party chief Sonia Gandhi might be a signal to the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership of his desire to join the saffron party, party leaders suggested today.

Ahluwalia took many partymen by surprise when he alleged that Sonia Gandhi was influenced and was acting on the guidance of the 'Delhi mafia' which was responsible for the massacre of innocent Sikhs during the Delhi riots in 1984.

While the party spokespersons pointed out that the leadership would initiate disciplinary action against Ahluwalia for taking his grievances to the press, Ambika Soni underlined that the outspoken leader should have aired his complaints in party fora. The other spokesman, Anil Shastri, felt the same way and said Ahluwalia had spoken against the party leadership sometime ago.

However, a senior Congress general secretary maintained that with Ahluwalia, frustrated at not being able to do much in the party, he had decided to send overtures to the BJP leadership and the outburst against Gandhi was his move in this regard. The AICC general secretary said that ever since Ahluwalia lashed out against Gandhi a few months ago, his actions were being secretly monitored by the party leadership.

On the previous occasion, Ahluwalia had earned a reprieve regarding action from the party high command by contending that he had taken Gandhi's permission to do so. But unknown to him, the Congress leadership had commenced monitoring his actions. His frequent phone calls to some BJP leaders convinced the party high command that Ahluwalia planned to join the saffron party.

However, right now the Congress leadership has sought to maintain a low profile over Ahluwalia's outburst in view of the impending assembly elections, the Congress general secretary claimed.

It is understood that party leaders like Madhavrao Scindia and Oscar Fernandes have reportedly told the party chief that Ahluwalia's exit from the Congress would have little adverse effect on the party.

Ahluwalia, an ardent follower of former prime minister and former Congress chief P V Narasimha Rao, is understood to have taken his complaints about Gandhi to Rao, However, the former prime minister is likely to disown Ahluwalia if he chooses to join the BJP, Congress functionaries said.

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