Rao Camp Confident Of Blocking Move To Convene Aicc

Six members of the CWC wrote to Rao early this month asking that he call an AICC by September 17. They have said elsewhere that they will requisition one if he does not.

They will need the signatures of 20 per cent of the AICC members for that. The spokesman pointed out that these (about 200 members) must have a valid right to vote. This is a grey area, since Rao's managers control the records of who had left the party when the Tiwari Congress was formed. They could declare that some of the signatories are no more members of the party. The spokesperson also pointed out that the party constitution stipulates that the requisition must specifically state the purpose for which the meeting is sought to be convened and that requisitions be addressed to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), not to the party president.

Rao is apparently confident that he will get the backing of the CWC to put off an AICC session until the new one can take the place of the 1992 one. Although the CWC has always decided by consensus, Rao has the support of the majority of members.

He also hopes that the BSP-Congress alliance will fare well enough in the UP elections for him to neutralise opposition to him in the new AICC.

It was not clear whether party spokesperson VN Gadgil had been asked to reveal the strategy to counter a requisition demand or not, but CPP spokesperson Suresh Kalmadi butted in at the briefing to say that the letter from the six CWC members said nothing about a requisition.Perhaps Rao hopes through Gadgil's suo motu statement to send a message to those party members who are prone to sitting on the fence that the requisition move will not succeed.