| Published on 19-02-2008 In National |
| Viewed 1347 times |
| Corridor Whispers - Feb 19 Part - 1 |
|
|
Written by
Insider |
One (Congress) Man, Many posts!
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has given quiet burial to one-man, one-post norm in the Congress. The appointment of union minister of state Suresh Pachauri as party head in Madhya Pradesh along with Priyaranjan Dasmunshi and Saifuddin Soz as PCC chiefs of Bengal and J & K along with several union ministers Prithviraj Chavan, Shakeel Ahmed, Ajay Maken, Jairam Ramesh and Oscar Fernandes holding organizational assignment indicates that the "one-man, one-post norm" has become an exception rather than a rule.
The convention of one-man, one-post has always been a controversial and heady issue that has witnessed many titanic battles within in the grand-old party. It means that a minister in the government or office-bearer in the organization will have to opt for one post instead of holding on to both. The last time the Congress saw a major row over the issue was during Narasimha Rao era when a motley group led by Arjun Singh unsuccessfully tried to get the "one-man, one-post" principle implemented on Rao himself who was also Congress president. The Surajkund AICC session in 1993 made exception in case of Congress president holding the post of the prime minister too.
But in Sonia Gandhi led Congress, there are so many exceptions to one-man, one-post norm that party men have begun to joke that one-man, one-post norm has itself become an exception.
-----------------------------------------
Bird Flu blues for Dasmunshi
Newly appointed Bengal Congress chief Priyaranjan Dasmunshi is a worried man. Munshi is not much concerned about holding on to the two ministries that he is heading, but the ground situation in Bengal particularly in 13 districts that were badly hit by the bird flu. In Munshi's assessment, the Congress may have to pay a heavy prize of culling of some 23 lakh birds in the state.
Apparently, out-of-work party men had lapped up the task of killing birds for nominal money. Politically it is bad news for a defunct WBPCC that Munshi is asked to head. In village after village, these "killers" have become a hate figure among village dwellers who used to survive on their poultry. Munshi does not relish prospects of now leading a team of workers which is increasingly getting un-popular at ground level for killing too many birds.
-----------------------------------------
Paswan-Pawar war of wits
The differences between Union Chemicals and Fertilizer minister Ram Vilas Paswan and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar are deteriorating. Paswan is keen to announce price policy of medicines.
But in every cabinet meet, Pawar vetoes the move on the ground that pharmaceutical companies' point of view should be heard before making such an announcement. Paswan was heard commenting that Pawar had taken a similar stand when he had pushed for fertilizer subsidy too. The Hajipur MP is upset with Prime minister too for taking a rather neutral position on a matter of public interest.
-----------------------------------------
PC gets Pranab's help
Is budget 2008 going to be the last UPA budgetary exercise by P.Chidambaram? Indications are that it may be. For the first time in four years, External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has been
asked to assist Chidambaram to provide political face to a fiscal exercise. Pranab has been assigned task by none other than Sonia Gandhi. "Mr. Indispensable" met the Prime Minister first and then received a call from the Finance Minister. The two meetings that have already taken place are said to be cordial. Pranab, a finance minister way back in 1980s, was reportedly impressive winning approval from the lawyer on many counts.
|
|
|
|
|
| Social Web |  |
| |
|
|
| |
Processing please wait ...
Top Stories
