Coordination panel likely for MP

Bhopal, Jan 08: The All India Congress Committee AICC is considering formation of coordination committee in Madhya Pradesh, instead of declaring new executive body. There is sense of urgency as Congress feels assembly elections might be held before November 2008. At present Subhash Yadav continues in the office of PCC president with his own executive. Factionalism has failed to recede in the party in spite of its high command's repeated efforts. So, in that context, coordination panel is the only viable solution.

Party sources said that Madhya Pradesh Congress committee has not been formed as yet and it is already high time when the body was announced to face assembly elections scheduled after 10 months. AICC General Secretary and in charge of Madhya Pradesh affairs V Narayan Sami had recently tried this arrangement in Harda district, which yielded better result. Harda district committee was not formed due to increasing factionalism and a coordination committee comprising all important leaders was formed.

Earlier, in the year 1991 and 1998 the state Congress also functioned without state committee. The AICC had appointed in-charge of divisions and the party had successfully contested elections. High placed sourced said that after January 14, when the auspicious month commences, Sonia is going to take such decisions in Madhya Pradesh. Probable names from Centre which could be in the coordination committee are- Union Ministers Suresh Pachouri, Kamal Nath, and Kantilal Bhuria, Member of Parliament Jyotiraditya Scindia, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, and Urmila Singh.

The leaders from stae which are likely in the committee include MLA Ajay Singh, former ministers Harbans Singh, Mahendra Singh Kalukheda, Dilip Bhuria, Aslam Sher Khan, Brijmohan Shrivastava, Laxman Tiwari (son of former Speaker Shrinivas Tiwari), Shobha Oza and Mahendra Joshi. This way, representation from all the regions including Mahakaushal, Baghelkhand, Nimarh, Bundelkhand and Malwa is likely. Sources also claimed that the meeting of this committee would be convened once bi-monthly to decide targets in different constituencies. Political observers believe that victory in Khargone and Sanwer by-elections was possible only with the unity of all the big leaders and if Congress wants to regain power in Madhya Pradesh, coordination committee is the only way out when factionalism is increasing in the state.