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Friday, August 5, 2011

Unwell Sonia signals transition Rahul to share party reins

Unwell Sonia signals transition 
Rahul to share party reins
SANKARSHAN THAKUR AND SANJAY K. JHA
Sonia with Rahul outside 10 Janpath in 2008

New Delhi, Aug. 4: The widely unexpected health setback to Congress president Sonia Gandhi has instantly compelled the reluctant son and heir apparent Rahul Gandhi closer to a centrestage role.

Sonia, 64, underwent surgery at Sloan-Kettering hospital in New York today.

She has instructed that a four-member group of A.K. Antony, Rahul Gandhi, Ahmed Patel and Janardan Dwivedi will look after Congress affairs in her absence.

The Congress said their leader and UPA chairperson is likely to be "away for two to three weeks" but the creation of a high-powered backup team sparked intense speculation that recovery from her current condition could take much longer for her to return to active station.

Equally, there is now strong and just conjecture that her ill-health has occasioned serious contingency measures, chief among which is the foregrounding of Rahul as prime mover while she is gone or recuperating. Rahul is in the US with his mother and has not been able to attend the monsoon session of Parliament which began this week.

Sonia's illness, serious enough for invasive medical attention, has come to light at a time when the UPA government is confronted with multiple crises, including allegations of corruption in the highest places.

Although there is little to suggest Rahul is currently anything more than party general secretary and part of a four-man crisis-management team, Congress leaders are not denying Rahul could, at least in the short term, take his mother's place in the core group and even take on Sonia's responsibilities as party president.

"If Rahulji wants to attend core group meetings (usually held every Friday at the Prime Minister's residence) and shoulder the burden of Congress president, who can object to that?" a senior party leader asked. Nobody in the party will be surprised if this enforced "apprenticeship" dovetails seamlessly into a formalised leadership position for Rahul.

The circumstances of Rahul's progression to centrality in the Congress scheme could well add to the already abundant public mythology about illness or tragedy becoming the stage for succession, gradual or sudden, in India's foremost political family. ( )

This is the first time that Sonia has formally constituted such a team and her decision has led some in the party to suggest the move may have been prompted by longer term objectives than what the Congress is currently willing to officially state.

Party leaders are, probably understandably, cagey about the implications of Sonia's illness, political or otherwise, and remain tight-lipped on anything but the bare-bone statement released by the Congress media head, Dwivedi.

"Sonia Gandhi has been recently diagnosed with a medical condition that requires surgery. On advice from her doctors, she has travelled abroad and is likely to be away for two to three weeks," Dwivedi said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari declined any inquiries, saying: "Even public personalities are entitled to certain amount of privacy as far as (their) medical condition is concerned."

Asked about the need for setting up the four-member group, a leader made to downplay any significance beyond the short term. "This is for two weeks, only to look after day-to-day affairs. No political significance should be read into it," he said.

The group mix

But the composition of the group has generated much curiosity and debate in Congress circles; many leaders have begun to wonder if Rahul, who has so far eschewed a ministerial berth or direct participation in executive decision-making, is being propelled towards the helm. Others, though, preferred not to over-analyse, maintaining that Sonia's state of health in the coming weeks and months would be crucial to determining Rahul's trajectory.

That Rahul will take over the reins of the party sooner than later is uncontested common knowledge. But the new arrangement has prompted animated, though hushed, chatter in the political class, largely taken unawares by this afternoon's news about Sonia.

Ahmed Patel, as Sonia's political secretary and confidant, and Dwivedi, as media major domo and Patel loyalist, probably pick themselves. So, for much different and deeper reasons, does Rahul.

The Antony factor

It is the induction of Antony, the only one from government, that is being singled out for attention. Could it mean Antony is being readied for an interim role in an unforeseen situation should Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demit office and Rahul Gandhi is yet unprepared?

Many are arguing being Christian could come in Antony's way. But trust with 10 Janpath, and the impression that he is not so driven by political ambition as to tamper with the Nehru-Gandhi script, could be Antony's big asset.

The omissions

The tattle-mills are no less active on who has not made it, and why. Manmohan Singh, most likely because he has betrayed little bias or skill for organisational politics and is running a besieged government.

But others like Pranab Mukherjee, adept at backroom play and trouble-shooting, Ghulam Nabi Azad and vocal party general secretary Digvijay Singh became subjects of avid chatter.

Sources explained away Pranab's absence on the team on account of his preoccupation with parliamentary and governance issues. The rest, it was argued, are not part of the "inner coterie".

Digvijay has probably been left out because the idea was to establish a tight- knit management group and the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister is known not to get along too well with Patel.

The low-profile Patel, in addition to being close to Sonia, is probably most on top of the Congress's inner workings and wields enormous clout. It is known to insiders that Patel is Sonia's most critical cog in the running of a party which, at the best of times, is a complex undertaking.

He will probably now work closely with Rahul to keep the party going while the leader is still unable.

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Sonia Gandhi unwell, in US for treatment

Sunetra Choudhury, Updated: August 04, 2011 14:33 IST

New Delhi:  Congress President Sonia Gandhi is unwell and is currently in America for treatment, said her party today.  Doctors are deciding whether she should undergo surgery.  The party did not indicate any other details of Mrs Gandhi's health. 

Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi told the media, "Mrs Gandhi was recently diagnosed with a medical condition and upon the advice of her doctors, has travelled abroad for surgery." 

Mr Dwivedi said that the Congress President will be away for two-three weeks. During this time, he said, a caretaker team has been appointed to "look after the affairs of the Congress party".  In a letter to her party, Mrs Gandhi said the four members of this group are Defence Minister AK Antony, Mr Dwivedi, Mrs Gandhi's son and party General Secretary Rahul, and her political advisor Ahmed Patel.

Mr Dwivedi did not reveal where Mrs Gandhi has travelled to in America.  Sources say her daughter, Priyanka, is with her. 

BJP leader and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Have come to know through media about Mrs Sonia Gandhi's surgery. I pray for her speedy recovery & good health."
The fact that Rahul Gandhi has been named in the caretaker group for the Congress is being read by many as a response to the recent expression within the party for Mr Gandhi to play a larger role.  A few weeks ago, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that he would be happy to step down for Mr Gandhi, but that the party had not discussed this possibility. Mr Gandhi reportedly did not travel with his mother to the US, but has not been seen in Parliament so far. His office said he is preoccupied with his commitments in UP where he has been meeting regularly with farmers to discuss the problems they face over their land being acquired cheaply by the UP government.  UP votes next year; Mr Gandhi will steer the party's campaign here.

Who's been left out of the caretaker group is noteworthy and is likely to cause much angst and discussion within the Congress. Digvijaya Singh and Pranab Mukherjee, both known for their proximity to the Gandhis, have not been included.  



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Story first published:
August 04, 2011 13:00 IST

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