AICC gets ready to reinforce Bengal, Kerala PCCs

NEW DELHI: Never mind the sound-byte bonhomie between Congress leadership and CPM brass in the time of ‘nuclear conflict’. Hectic moves are on to reinforce the ground position against each other. With the nuclear deal-hit UPA-Left relation raising the spectrum of an early Lok Sabha poll, the Congress high command has moved in to unite and reinforce its West Bengal and Kerala units in order to face the traditional Communist electoral challenge in these states.

AICC general secretary in-charge Mohsina Kidwai on Thursday held a significant meeting of a dozen top West Bengal leaders here which, besides resolving to bridge the fictional dive, has also authorised the two leaders of the great PCC divide - Mr Pranab Mukherjee and Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi - along with Ms Kidwai to submit a blueprint to Sonia Gandhi on uniting and strengthening (read bringing back Mamata Banerjee) the state Congress unit on a war-footing.

Ms Kidwai will leave for Kerala on Saturday on a similar mission, when the state Congress factions are debating Mr K Karunakaran’s expression of interest in returning home.

Ms Kidwai attended a two-hour-long meeting of senior West Bengal Congress leaders, presided over by PCC chief Mukherjee at his residence on Thursday afternoon. Among others who attended the meeting include Mr Dasmunsi, the PCC working president, CLP leader and a number of senior party leaders and legislators.

Party sources said the meeting discussed the strategy to reinforce its fight against the Left Front, especially in the wake of developments like Nandigran and Singur.

But it is clear that the possibility of an early poll was the driving force behind the peace meet where both electoral and organisational plans were broadly discussed. The three-member committee is expected to submit its report to Ms Gandhi by the middle of this month.

Among the agenda will be the restructuring of the PCC leadership as Mr Mukherjee’s offer to vacate the PCC presidentship is long pending for high command’s clearance and also the issue of Ms Banerjee’s return-trip.

Ms Kidwai, also in-charge of Kerala, will leave for the state where she is expected to hold a series of meetings aimed at bringing unity among the various factions. Already, Ms Kidwai has been called on by various players of the state Congress unit, expressing their views on Mr Karunakaran’s desire to return to the Congress fold.

Ms Kidwai is also expected to use her Kerala trip to bring her assessment of the mood of the state Congress leaders and workers on the Karunakaran issue to Sonia Gandhi.