Patel: Under glare

New Delhi, May 21: After the government’s anniversary celebrations, it will be time for Sonia Gandhi to set her house in order.

Beset with obstructive functionaries and feuding ministers, the Congress chief plans a hard, critical look at the government and party once the birthday festivities end tomorrow and Parliament winds up its budget session on Tuesday.

Sonia is concerned at the disquiet building in the party against her appointee Manmohan Singh. While she continues to have full faith in him, the Prime Minister has been asked to increase his interactions with ministers and senior party leaders.

It’s Sonia’s political secretary, Ahmad Patel, who now liaises between the government and the party. There is a perception in Delhi that he has failed to silence the growing number of Manmohan critics, such as M.L. Fotedar, Ajit Jogi, Ram Naresh Yadav and Natwar Singh.

Within the Congress, Patel is alleged to be unpopular and inaccessible. He is accused of constantly trying to buy time and delay appointments. For instance, the appointments of governors to several states ? such as Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh ? have been held up for months.

There is no shortage of party leaders eager to take up the jobs, but somehow the list has not travelled from the party to the Prime Minister’s Office and then to the Union home ministry.

Arjun Singh and Ambika Soni are believed to be gunning for Patel. Once considered the “eyes and ears” of Sonia, Arjun and Ambika seem to have lost their clout considerably. Congress circles are abuzz with talk of how the two are busy queering Patel’s pitch.

Sonia has the option of shifting Patel to the All India Congress Committee and appointing Janardhan Dwivedi her political secretary. Patel himself is believed to be reluctant to continue in his current job, and would like to be AICC treasurer, a post he had held for many years. The current treasurer, Motilal Vora, is keen to become a Union minister.

On the quota controversy, Sonia wants to tread cautiously instead of taking sides. Sources said she knows that increasing seats in medical and engineering colleges would not be enough, so she is thinking of including a senior Brahmin leader in the government to send out a signal of empowerment. Vora, a Brahmin, is a contender but Uttaranchal chief minister Narain Dutt Tiwari is also lobbying for the slot.

But more than shuffles, Sonia wants structural changes. She is asking why Congress ministers at the Centre cannot function as a team, presenting a united face and providing thrust to the party’s agenda and manifesto.

Instead, she keeps hearing about feuds between cabinet ministers, or between them and their junior ministers.

Sonia is toying with the idea of sending Congress ministers to a retreat so that they can mingle, break the ice and recharge themselves for constructive work.

The dates haven’t been decided.

What is clear is that the euphoria of May 2004 and cautious optimism of May 2005 are missing in May 2006.