The lack of coordination between the Congress high command and its Mumbai unit left the party at an odd spot on Wednesday.
The All India Congress Committee’s disciplinary board headed by former Defence Minister A.K. Antony sent a show-cause notice to Sanjay Nirupam, chief of Mumbai Congress unit, seeking his explanation on a controversial article was published in “Congress Sandesh” magazine last December.
Since Mr.Nirupam is the editor of the magazine, the party’s mouthpiece in Mumbai, he was asked to explain how an article filled with criticism of the Gandhi family could get published under his watch.
Engrossed in making arrangements for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s two-day visit to Mumbai — starting January 15 — Mr.Nirupam denied having received any such notice. Speaking to The Hindu , he said if he receives any such notice, he’s “happy to explain” his position.
Back in New Delhi, the Congress high command went into a damage control mode with senior party leaders neither confirming nor denying sending the notice.
Congress sources said that the high command declared the notice invalid after realising that Mr Nirupam was leading the preparations for Mr Gandhi’s Mumbai visit. “The leadership thought the notice may spoil Rahulji’s visit, so they postponed it,” a senior party leader said.
A closer look at the confusion also reveals intra-party rift brewing in the state unit. Congress sources said that one faction is led by two senior Congress leaders Gurudas Kamat and Kripashankar Singh, and another by Mr Nirupam. The Kamat-Singh duo is what’s recognized as the “Maratha” lobby.
Since Mr Nirupam is from Bihar, sources said, Mr Kamat doesn’t want a Bihari lobby to dictate rules in the party.
“They are now trying to highlight that a show-cause was issued to Mr Nirupam only to discourage him and turn him bitter toward the senior leaders in Delhi,” a Congress office-bearer in New Delhi overseeing the Maharashtra state said.
