Arjun Singh, N D Tiwari Back In Cong

After keeping Arjun Singh and N D Tiwari on tenterhooks for a month, Congress president Sitaram Kesari yesterday readmitted them into the party fold, but threw enough hints that they would not get any major position and would have to work their way up.

For one, their admission was a remarkably low-key affair compared to the considerable amount of back-slapping that accompanied the return to the party fold of Madhavrao Scindia.

Kesari chose not to be present at the All-India Congress Committee headquarters when party spokesman V N Gadgil announced that the return of the former partymen did not amount to merger or integration, but a simple admission into the party. They will work as active members of the party, Gadgil remarked.

Kesaris political secretary Tariq Anwar said that P R Kumaramangalam, Sheila Dixit and Mohsina Kidwai had also been re-admitted along with Tiwari and Singh.

Singh, who resigned from the Union Cabinet on December 24, 1994, was expelled from the party on February 6, 1995. On may 19 the same year, Singh and Tiwari organised a convention at the Talkatora Stadium in the Union Capital and formed Congress (Tiwari).

On December 11, 1996, the party decided to integrate with the parent Congress. Until then, the party was a component of the 13-party United Front (UF), but has since split, with Satpal Maharaj and Sheeshram Ola opting to remain in the front.

Indications were that Maharaj and Ola would perpetuate the existence of the party by forming a separate group in Parliament.

The party had fourmembers of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. Gadgil remarked that Satpal Maharaj and Sis Ram Ola had not applied for the membership of the Congress.

Singh and Tiwari, however, will have to be satisfied at least for the time being with their admission only.

Kesari gave the green signal to them only after ensuring that the two senior Congressmen would not be a factor, howsoever remote, in his bid to consolidate hold on the party.

A place on the Congress Working Committee (CWC) is also unlikely for either Singh or Tiwari.

In view of the feeling within the party that Brahmins had less representation in the apex party forum, Kesari has already nominated Nawal Kishore Sharma from Rajasthan, even though he is considered a political lightweight. This has dashed Tiwaris hopes for a place in the Congress Working Committee. Tiwari and Singh were members of the CWC before being expelled.

After the announcement, Singh said that it marked the third phase of his political career and felt that this phase would be more exciting.

The first one was during 1960-1994, and the second following his expulsion from the Congress.

He said that the Congress needed to be strengthened and remarked that he did not have anything against anybody in the partys Madhya Pradesh unit. Tiwari, too, expressed his happiness at the development.