Sharief falls in line after Sonia lends him ear, assurance
The Congress high command on Sunday defused a potential crisis in poll-bound Karnataka by prevailing upon senior leader Jaffer Sharief to withdraw his resignation from the party.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: The Congress high command on Sunday defused a potential crisis in poll-bound Karnataka by prevailing upon senior leader Jaffer Sharief to withdraw his resignation from the party even while sticking to its decision not to allot a party ticket to his grandson for contesting the Assembly polls.
Even while making it clear to the Karnataka veteran that he can���t force the high command to reopen the candidates list to accommodate his relative, the Congress leadership is learnt to have assured the senior Muslim leader that ���some of his grievances will be addressed in the course of time���.
Mr Sharief, a five-time Lok Sabha member who lost in the last general election, could now look forward to some reward in future. He has been seeking a berth in Parliament or AICC even while lobbing for a gubernatorial posting. He is also keen to establish his grandson as his political heir through some post-poll posts in the state.
After meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the company of senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Prithviraj Chavan, Mr Sharief told reporters: ���I am convinced by what the Congress president told me today. I agree with her that at the time of this crucial election, fight against communal forces by ensuring party unity is paramount. I have placed before her some issues and am hopeful that she will respond in a positive manner���.
Mr Sharief, whose move to fax his resignation to the AICC had triggered speculations about his going to the BSP or NCP, is expected to rejoin the Congress campaign in his state from Monday.
While there was no official word from the AICC about his meeting with Ms Gandhi, a senior leader said: ���Mr Sharief is a senior Congress leader and will be active in our campaign to defeat the BJP and the JD(S)���. This AICC functionary also said that while it was not possible to change the list of candidates at this juncture, the party leadership will be positive in addressing Mr Sharief���s ���other concerns���.
An effective handling of the Sharief revolt was important for the AICC as his show of defiance was a testing case for the leadership to signal to one and all that the decision to deny party nominations to the relatives of some senior party leaders has been a well-considered view that can���t be reversed under pressure tactics.
Many senior leaders say the yardstick applied by the AICC in the selection of party candidates in Karnataka, based on some of the resolves of the party���s committee on future challenges, could be applied in the coming elections in many states too.
Even while making it clear to the Karnataka veteran that he can���t force the high command to reopen the candidates list to accommodate his relative, the Congress leadership is learnt to have assured the senior Muslim leader that ���some of his grievances will be addressed in the course of time���.
Mr Sharief, a five-time Lok Sabha member who lost in the last general election, could now look forward to some reward in future. He has been seeking a berth in Parliament or AICC even while lobbing for a gubernatorial posting. He is also keen to establish his grandson as his political heir through some post-poll posts in the state.
After meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the company of senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Prithviraj Chavan, Mr Sharief told reporters: ���I am convinced by what the Congress president told me today. I agree with her that at the time of this crucial election, fight against communal forces by ensuring party unity is paramount. I have placed before her some issues and am hopeful that she will respond in a positive manner���.
Mr Sharief, whose move to fax his resignation to the AICC had triggered speculations about his going to the BSP or NCP, is expected to rejoin the Congress campaign in his state from Monday.
While there was no official word from the AICC about his meeting with Ms Gandhi, a senior leader said: ���Mr Sharief is a senior Congress leader and will be active in our campaign to defeat the BJP and the JD(S)���. This AICC functionary also said that while it was not possible to change the list of candidates at this juncture, the party leadership will be positive in addressing Mr Sharief���s ���other concerns���.
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An effective handling of the Sharief revolt was important for the AICC as his show of defiance was a testing case for the leadership to signal to one and all that the decision to deny party nominations to the relatives of some senior party leaders has been a well-considered view that can���t be reversed under pressure tactics.
Many senior leaders say the yardstick applied by the AICC in the selection of party candidates in Karnataka, based on some of the resolves of the party���s committee on future challenges, could be applied in the coming elections in many states too.
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