Dec 28, 1998
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CONGRESS Sonia plays Indira Taking a cue from her mother-in-law Sonia asks the AICC to amend the party's constitution in her favour. By Harish Gupta When they walked into Delhi's Talkatora Stadium for a specially convened All India Congress Committee (AICC) session on Friday, December 18, Congressmen could have been forgiven a feeling of déja vu. In 1974, just after the Pokhran nuclear test and at the zenith of her popularity, Indira Gandhi had called a similar AICC conclave. She used it to change the party constitution. The party president was allowed great flexibility in choosing the Congress Working Committee (CWC), even authorised to remove elected members. The party's conversion to a family firm was complete.
The recrafting of the AICC is a more gradual operation. Sonia has not dropped a single general secretary appointed by Sitaram Kesri, her predecessor. Nor has she tampered with the powerful CWC -- other than inducting Rajesh Pilot and P.A. Sangma. In contrast to the sheer nervous energy of Indira, Sonia is patient. As M.L. Fotedar, long-time Gandhi family retainer and former Union minister observes, "She was offered the party leadership and the prime minister's post in 1991. But she declined. She has never been in a hurry. She is more Indian than most Indians in her conduct." The fine print of the amendments show the work of an astute political brain. In true Indira tradition, Sonia and her advisers have made minimal but careful changes. Nevertheless, she realises that Indira corroded the party by throttling internal democracy. To ensure such mistakes are never repeated Sonia has set up the Congress Election Authority (CEA). This three-member body will prepare electoral rolls and conduct regular polls. It will also oversee similar mini-CEAs at the pcc level. The Congress will be given a permanent infrastructure. Seen another way, the mass-based party is on its way to becoming a cadre-based one. The party's 3.5 crore members will now have to pay Rs 3 annually, a trebling of the previous fee. This will bring in more money for daily affairs, especially at the town and village tier. Like in the times of an earlier Gandhi, the Congress' offices across the dusty landscape of India will hum with activity. The Congress (Sonia) has arrived. |
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A quarter century later, Sonia Gandhi sought to
further her mother-in-law's agenda. She laid before her party another set of
constitutional amendments. Before she is ready to form a government at the Centre, she
clearly wants to make her control over the party foolproof. 
Sonia's method is two-pronged: new rules and new officials. While
the AICC was required to change the constitution, the undermining of state satraps by
Sonia loyalists is an ongoing process. In Maharashtra, Pratap Rao Bhonsle has been
appointed Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief much to Sharad Pawar's discomfort. In
Orissa B.K. Biswal, arch-rival of Chief Minister J.B. Patnaik, has got the PCC's top job. 
