No differences between Sonia & Manmohan, says Congress

Clarifies the decision to let Bansal and Ashwani Kumar go was taken jointly by Gandhi and Singh

Seeking to downplay media reports that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were not on the same page on sacking former Cabinet ministers Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar, Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi clarified the decision to let the duo go was taken jointly by Gandhi and Singh. There are no differences between the party president and the PM, he asserted.

Most newspapers had reported that it was after Gandhi's prodding a reluctant PM dropped the two ministers.

This is the second time in just over two months that Dwivedi has had to clarify that the two power centres in the party and government were not working at cross purposes.

Earlier, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh's remarks that a system with a dual centre of power had not worked well had been rubbished by the party. While the party has indicated a ministerial reshuffle will likely take place on 20 May, sources said the exercise might not happen until it is absolutely necessary.

I'm innocent: Bansal

A day after Ashwani Kumar held a press conference to say he had done no wrong, Bansal told a meeting of party workers in Chandigarh he, too, had done no wrong. "I am not associated with the case... I assure you (party workers) that nothing will come out from this case," he said. Bansal's comments came even as the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has arrested his nephew Vijay Singla, Railway Board Member Mahesh Kumar and others in the Rs 10-crore bribery scam, is preparing to question him.

"I repeatedly maintain that I am innocent," he told reporters.

Bansal, who returned to his home town on Saturday night for the first time after the arrest of Singla for allegedly accepting bribe Rs 90 lakh in bribe on behalf of Kumar for fixing the Member (Electrical) post in the Railway Board for him, convened a meeting of local party level office bearers and activists in Chandigarh.

According to party insiders, the move is to show that he still enjoys party's support. Bansal will now chalk out his political strategy in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, said Congress sources. Welcoming the CBI investigation into the bribery charge, Bansal said, "I have faith in the CBI probe... I don't want to make any comment on the issue, but I have nothing to do with the case."