Rao Agrees To Hold Cpp, But Fixes Poll Reforms As Agenda

Party leader PV Narasimha Rao obviously feels too weak to ignore the demand entirely, but his detractors fear that his managers will ensure that none of the MPs is allowed to speak on of the issues that really concern them, on the ground that these subjects are not on the agenda.

They will choose the speakers carefully and only loyalists will be given the floor,' said one senior MP. Rao has promised to be present at the meeting but his detractors say he may turn up late, after the meeting has been set on a safe course by his managers.

To make it more difficult for critics to say he gave no opportunity for MPs to address him on the issues that concern them, he has set up meetings with party MPs from various states in batches. He is to meet those from Haryana, Himachal, Punjab J&K and Madhya Pradesh on Monday and those from Gujarat and UP on Wednesday.

Party MPs from Andhra and Maharashtra are to meet him on September 9, those from Orissa, Kerala and Karnataka on September 10 and those from Bihar, Rajasthan and the Union territories on September 11.

Contentious issues and talk of the need for a change of leader, because of the many corruption charges surrounding Rao and his close associates, do not normally surface at these meetings, where pro-Rao MPs can be briefed to set the conversation in a particular direction, such as the lack of responsiveness from UF ministers to their problems.