10-07-2005, 02:45 AM
As Cong CMs meet, Sonia to scan report cards
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->And the picture is hardly rosy. For example, Sheila Dikshit (Delhi), who led the party to an impressive victory, has to contend with mass unrest over inflated electricity and water bills on the one hand and dissidence on the other. Oommen Chandy (Kerala) has just registered a dismal performance in civic and panchayat elections barely six months ahead of the Assembly polls.
The Naxalite policy of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) has gone haywire as the peace process initiated by him and the consequent ceasefire has only led to consolidation of the far-Left extremists. This has not, however, prevented the Congress from undertaking a similar move in Assam vis-a-vis ULFA. Tarun Gogoi (Assam) faces another challenge following the formation of a front by several Muslim organisations. Coming a few months before assembly polls, the move can undermine the prospects of the party, which depends heavily on the minority vote.
Vilasrao Deshmukh (Maharashtra) remains bogged down due to pressures of the coalition and an almost hostile PCC chief (Prabha Rau) and general secretary in-charge (Margaret Alva). Narain Dutt Tewariâs government (Uttaranchal) is weighed down by inertia, while N. Dharam Singh (Karnataka) plays second fiddle to Janata Dal(S) president H.D. Deve Gowda. Manipur has been quiet, but only after remaining cut off from rest of the country for weeks, due to blockade by the Nagas. Meghalaya is still smouldering after violence in Tura.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->And the picture is hardly rosy. For example, Sheila Dikshit (Delhi), who led the party to an impressive victory, has to contend with mass unrest over inflated electricity and water bills on the one hand and dissidence on the other. Oommen Chandy (Kerala) has just registered a dismal performance in civic and panchayat elections barely six months ahead of the Assembly polls.
The Naxalite policy of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) has gone haywire as the peace process initiated by him and the consequent ceasefire has only led to consolidation of the far-Left extremists. This has not, however, prevented the Congress from undertaking a similar move in Assam vis-a-vis ULFA. Tarun Gogoi (Assam) faces another challenge following the formation of a front by several Muslim organisations. Coming a few months before assembly polls, the move can undermine the prospects of the party, which depends heavily on the minority vote.
Vilasrao Deshmukh (Maharashtra) remains bogged down due to pressures of the coalition and an almost hostile PCC chief (Prabha Rau) and general secretary in-charge (Margaret Alva). Narain Dutt Tewariâs government (Uttaranchal) is weighed down by inertia, while N. Dharam Singh (Karnataka) plays second fiddle to Janata Dal(S) president H.D. Deve Gowda. Manipur has been quiet, but only after remaining cut off from rest of the country for weeks, due to blockade by the Nagas. Meghalaya is still smouldering after violence in Tura.
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