Sonia Gandhi re-elected CPP chief
Owns responsibility for poll results
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 12 — The Congress Party in Parliament (CPP) today unanimously re-elected Mrs Sonia Gandhi as its Chairperson but the crucial question as to whether she would be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha remained unanswered.

Mrs Gandhi, while accepting the responsibility, did not elaborate barring an indication that she intended to spend more time in the Lok Sabha "consistent with my other responsibilities and goals".

The name of Mrs Gandhi as the Chairperson was proposed by Mr P.M. Sayeed, one of the seniormost MPs in the 13th House, and seconded by a host of senior leaders, including Mr Narain Dutt Tiwari, Mr Tarun Gogoi, Ms Saroj Khaparde, Mrs Nishaben Chaudhary, Mr C.K. Jaffer Sharief, Mr Jagmeet Brar and Mr P.R. Kyndiah.

"The CPP wants her to be the Leader of the Lok Sabha, but it depends on her what decision she takes," the CPP Secretary, Mr Suresh Pachauri, said at a media briefing after the meeting of the CPP in Central Hall of Parliament today.

Mrs Gandhi was first elected as CPP Chairperson on March 16, 1998, at a time when she was not a member of either House of Parliament but had assumed the leadership of the Congress.

As per the CPP constitution, which was amended then, the Chairperson has to be elected by members of both Houses of Parliament and shall nominate two leaders of the party, one for the Lok Sabha and another for the Rajya Sabha, from among members belonging to the respective Houses. In addition the Chairperson can appoint the Deputy Leader, the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip for each House.

Since Mrs Gandhi is a Lok Sabha MP, she can well nominate herself as the floor leader in the House which will automatically mean she becomes the Leader of the Opposition since the Congress has the maximum number of MPs who are in that position.

Addressing the CPP, Mrs Gandhi accepted prime responsibility for the party’s poor performance in the recent hustings and said she was willing to accept whatever judgement or action the party chose to pass or take.

"I know that many of you have been talking of collective responsibility but as President of the Congress I have no hesitation in acknowledging that the prime responsibility for our poor performance in these elections rests with me. And I am more than willing to accept whatever judgement or action the party chooses to pass or take," she said.

In what appeared to be a confession of her inability to steer the party in the manner she wanted to, the Congress President said while she had pledged to rebuild the party "we have succeeded to some extent, it is evident that we have failed in other ways."

Mrs Gandhi said as MPs all of them were in a privileged position and reminded the CPP that while the numbers were reduced the role was not. "For my own part, as a newly elected MP I intend to spend as much time as is possible in the House consistent with my other responsibilities and goals."

The CPP Chairperson said the party would play the role of a constructive Opposition, keeping in view larger national interest over partisan considerations.

The Congress, she said, would insist on "full disclosure" of all that led to Kargil, the damage to civilian-defence relations, raise voice in all matters related to national security and other issues.

"We must also insist on getting to the bottom of the national disgrace of the import of sugar from an ISI-related Pakistan agency" she said, adding that the party would also seek progress of the CBI’s Multi-Discipline Monitoring Agency, appointed to go into the recommendations of the Jain Commission.

The Congress President also said the party should strictly monitor the economic policy and other matters which required national consensus like the CTBT, the nuclear doctrine and world trade.