Chandigarh Cong(I) unitfactions plan strategies

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, APRIL 1. Various factions of the Chandigarh unit of the Congress are finalising their strategies on the eve of the visit of the All India Congress Committee General Secretary, Mr. Moti Lal Vora, who is also in-charge of party affairs in Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal, to the City Beautiful on April 2 and 3.

Mr. Vora is coming to Chandigarh not only to chair meetings of the Haryana and Punjab units of the party but also it is said, to sort out and resolve the intense warfare going on in the Chandigarh unit. Although Mr. Vora's agenda officially is to project the party's views on the burning issues of hike in rates of essential commodities and the BJP's move to get the Constitution amended, he is likely to face intense pressure from the Pawan Bansal faction to change the acting president of the city unit before the party poll.

The visit of Mr. Vora can evoke much heat and bad blood among the factions over the inclusion and exclusion of those who have been officially invited to the meeting. It is learnt that the acting president, Mr. Kulbhushan Gupta, has so far invited only members and office-bearers of the party unit besides district presidents, block presidents and chiefs of the frontal organisations. There could be trouble over the fact that invitations have not been extended to the former Union Minister, Mr. Harmohan Dhawan, and his close associates who joined the party recently on the ground that they are only primary members.

Mr. Dhawan when contacted told this correspondent that he had not received any invitation so far. Even stronger could be the pressure from the three suspended supporters of Mr. Bansal, who is the local MP, for the immediate revocation of their suspension by Mr. Gupta for anti-party activities.

Interestingly, as a prelude to the visit of Mr. Vora, a few leaders considered to be close to Mr. Bansal have started levelling ``uncorroborated'' allegations against not only Mr. Gupta but also against the former Union Minister, Mr. Venod Sharma, who is incidentally keeping himself above these petty politics, that the former has been ``exposed'' before the High Command as a stooge of the National Congress Party supremo, Mr. Sharad Pawar.

Mr. Gupta stoutly denies any association with Mr. Pawar and has warned that he would seek permission from Mr. Vora to expel these leaders from the party.

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