Just days after writing about the feud between Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), I am writing this post. The Congress seems to have taken a firm stand as to degrade and pressurise NCP so much as concede everything it want from the party. Lastest missive on this front is the letter written by Sonia Gandhi to Sharad Pawar. On the surface, the letter appears to have written out of the concern for poors. In fact, it is a perfect ploy to take the carpet out of Pawar's feet as a run up to the assembly elections.
When Sonia Gandhi deliberately choose to induct Pawar in prime minister Manmohan Singh's second cabinet as agriculture minister, it was evident that she was not doing a favour. It was a nice ploy to take avenge the rebell by Pawar 10 years ago. Pawar's rebel at that time had played spoilsport for Sonia's chances at prime ministership. In fact, Sonia missed the bus for ever for that coveted post. Even in four years that Pawar graced the chair of same post at New Delhi, he was not able to mend forces with Congress leadership, neither in state nor at centre. It was a testimony to the acrimony between two parties that Sonia also inducted staunch Pawar baiters in cabinet in the form of Vilasrao Deshmukh and Prithviraj Chavan. Some like Deshmukh have been given free rein as to throw their diatribe at Pawar.
On this background, it would be foolish to assume that Sonia had written from genuine concern. As the chairman of United Progressive Alliance, Sonia knew very well how the performance of union agriculture ministry is. When everybody was expressing apprehnsion about the shortage of food commodities and rising prices, Pawar was deriding the fact and Congress was nodding in unison. Now, the realisation has dawned over the minister as well as Congress party. Now all the right noises are made just to convince the voters in Maharashtra and Haryana that the party is not deserting them high and dry. Just two days ago, Maharashtra Congress had opposed reported moves to partially decontrol sale of sugar alleging that "atrocious" amendments in the sugar policy could make the sweetener dearer.
MPCC spokesman Kanhaiyalal Gidwani had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi expressing fear that some sugar manufacturers, along with a section in the government, were pressing for the amendments. Hence even if Congress is rejecting that Sonia has written such a letter, it has made it sure that its image is being portrayed more clear than the NCP.